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Thesis/Dissertation Information
- Degree Disciplines:
- Psychology
Notes
- Abstract:
- Most sexual-harassment research has explored opposite-sex dyads. The present study examined perceptions of same-sex harassment as a function of gender of the observer, gender combination of a dyad, and observer’s attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. Participants, ages ranging from 17 to 55 years (M = 23), were 96 (48 male, 48 female) psychology and counseling students at Barry University. Participants were randomly assigned to read one of four scenarios depicting a professor varying in attractiveness making implicit sexual advances to a student of the same sex. The conditions were as follows: Scenario one (high attractiveness, male-male dyad); Scenario two (low attractiveness, male-male dyad); scenario three (high attractiveness, female-female dyad); and scenario four (low attractiveness, female-female dyad). Respondents completed the Perception of Harassment Questionnaire, the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. The first data analysis was a 2 (gender of the observer) X 2 (gender combination of the dyad: male-male vs. female-female) X 2 (physical attractiveness of the initiator: high vs. low) between-subjects analysis of variance (ANOVA). The second data analysis was a 2 (gender combination of the dyad: male-male vs. female-female) X 2 (physical attractiveness of the initiator: high vs. low) X 2 (observer’s attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: positive vs. negative) between-subjects ANOVA. Consistent with predictions, participants were more likely to perceive harassment when the initiator was unattractive rather than attractive. Also as predicted, observers with negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men were more likely than those with positive attitudes to perceive harassment. Unexpectedly, there were no main single effects for gender of the observer and gender combination of the dyad. However, there was a significant interaction (Gender of the Observer and Physical Attractiveness of the Initiator), indicating that women perceived unattractive initiators to be as harassing as attractive initiators. However, men perceived unattractive initiators to be more harassing than attractive initiators. The results confirmed the influence of physical attractiveness and attitudes toward lesbians and gay men on people’s perceptions of same-sex harassment. Knowing that these variables are important could be instrumental in designing training programs aimed at raising awareness about the existence of same-sex harassment and its implications. Finally, the present study verifies that same-sex harassment may operate under a different set of principles than does opposite-sex harassment and thus merits further investigation.
- Thesis:
- Thesis (M.S.)--Barry University, 2006.
- Bibliography:
- Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-91).
Record Information
- Source Institution:
- Barry University
- Holding Location:
- Barry University Archives and Special Collections
- Rights Management:
- Copyright Yenys Castillo. Permission granted to Barry University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
- Resource Identifier:
- HD6060.3.C37 2006_CastilloYenys ( BU-Local )
- Classification:
- HD6060.3.C37 200 ( lcc )
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