Perceptions of Relationships

Abstract

The present study examined the biases that surround interracial and homosexual couples. Participants read a vignette describing and accompanied by a picture of a heterosexual, same-race couple; a female homosexual couple; a male homosexual couple; or an interracial couple. Participants proceeded to answer a questionnaire about the couple. Lower scores on the survey indicated less bias than higher scores. There was a significant difference between the overall scores of individuals who read the heterosexual, same race vignette (X =17.73) and those who read the male (X =21.25) and the female (X =21.38) homosexual vignettes, (MD= -3.52, -3.64 p =.024, .031). The difference between the scores of those who read the same race, heterosexual couple and the interracial heterosexual was insignificant, (MD= -.36, p=.986) , indicating that overall participants showed more bias towards the homosexual couples than the control couple or the interracial couple. Although no individual demographic showed any significant relationship to the overall score, it should be noted that not every category of each demographic had enough participants to run post-hoc tests. Overall, the results imply that individuals do not express much bias towards interracial couples; however they do express bias towards same-sex couples.