Anti-homosexual attitudes in college students: Predictors and classroom interventions

Undergraduate college students (N = 173) enrolled in business or psychology classes were studied to investigate (1) predictors of anti-gay and lesbian attitudes and (2) two educational approaches for counteracting negative at titudes toward homosexuality. Students' gender and other demographic charac teristics, gender role orientation, Sender role attitudes, and personal his tory variables were employed as independent variables in a multiple regress ion analysis to predict anti-homosexual attitudes. Results indicated that a ttitudes were significantly predicted by gender role attitudes, personal ac quaintance with a gay man, lesbian, or bisexual person, and religious convi ction. Gender, gender role orientation, age, prior participation in a works hop on homosexuality, sexual experience, and class type (psychology or busi ness) were not significant predictors. One-way independent groups analysis of variance indicated no significant differences in level of anti-homosexua l attitudes between heterosexual students who had interacted with gay and l esbian students in a one hour classroom panel discussion, viewed a video pr esentation on homosexuality, or had no classroom intervention.