Two Sides of the Same Coin: The Role of Aggression Proneness and Disgust in the Prediction of Homophobic and Transphobic Attitudes

Abstract

The LGBTQ+ community is at a disproportionately higher risk of experiencing identity-driven harassment and violence. Such victimization has profound deleterious effects on social and psychological well-being. Therefore, enhancing understanding of the mechanisms of anti-LGBTQ+ prejudice could inform risk management and intervention strategies to prevent homophobic and transphobic violence and mitigate its detrimental effects. Prior literature suggests disgust and aggression proneness are value-based emotions associated with sexual and gender prejudice. To date, few studies have examined the differential role of moral emotions in the development of homophobia and transphobia. Thus, this study sought to address this gap in the literature by examining the roles of disgust and aggression proneness in the prediction of transphobic and homophobic attitudes. A total of 1842 undergraduate students completed a battery of psychological measures assessing prejudicial attitudes and negative emotions. Multivariate linear regressions indicated disgust sensitivity was uniquely associated with homophobic attitudes, whereas aggression proneness was associated with transphobic attitudes. This has significant implications for the development of violence management and prevention strategies to address homophobic and transphobic violence.