A theoretical framework for antigay aggression: Review of established and hypothesized effects within the context of the general aggression model

Abstract

Theory and research on antigay aggression has identified different motives that facilitate aggression based on sexual orientation. However, the individual and situational determinants of antigay aggression associated with these motivations have yet to be organized within a single theoretical framework. This limits researchers' ability to organize existing knowledge, link that knowledge with related aggression theory, and guide the application of new findings. To address these limitations, this article argues for the use of an existing conceptual framework to guide thinking and generate new research in this area of study. Contemporary theories of antigay aggression, and empirical support for these theories, are reviewed and interpreted within the unifying framework of the general aggression model [Anderson, C.A. & Bushman, B.J. (2002). Human aggression. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 27-51.]. It is concluded that this conceptual framework will facilitate investigation of individual and situational risk factors that may contribute to antigay aggression and guide development of individual-level intervention.

Dormant masculinity: Moderating effects of acute alcohol intoxication on the relation between male role norms and antigay aggression.

“…This effect supports theoretical views that male homosexuality represents a core threat to heterosexual masculinity, and particularly men’s endorsement of an antifemininity theme within the male role (Parrott, 2008). Consistent with this literature, the present results observed a small, though non-significant, association ( β = .14).…”

Effects of masculinity, authoritarianism, and prejudice on antigay aggression: A path analysis of gender-role enforcement.

“…Estimates of the indirect effects with confidence intervals were obtained using bootstrapping with 5,000 samples (Preacher & Hayes, 2004, 2008.…”

Effects of alcohol and sexual prejudice on aggression toward sexual minorities.

“…Consistent with this research, experimental studies have demonstrated that male sexual prejudice is positively associated with increased aggression toward gay, relative to heterosexual, men (Bernat, Calhoun, Adams, & Zeichner, 2001; Parrott, 2009; Parrott & Zeichner, 2005). Importantly, these effects are only observed when heterosexual men are first exposed to expressions of male-male intimacy (Parrott & Zeichner, 2005), presumably because this situational factor elicits aggression-promoting internal states (Parrott, 2008). Indeed, studies show that sexually prejudiced men who are exposed to male-male, relative to male-female intimacy, experience higher levels of self-reported anger and negative affect (e.g., Bernat et al, 2001; Hudepohl, Parrott, & Zeichner, 2010; Mahaffey, Bryan, & Hutchison, 2005a; 2005b) and hostile cognition (Parrott, Zeichner, & Hoover, 2006).…”

“…Indeed, research indicates that approximately 50% of sexual minority individuals experience bias-motivated aggression (Herek, 2009), and these victims suffer a greater severity of violence and experience greater detrimental personal and psychological effects than victims of other bias-motivated (Dunbar, 2006) and nonbiased assaults (Herek, Gillis, & Cogan, 1999). Despite a substantial literature that identifies risk factors and mechanisms for aggression toward sexual minorities (for reviews, see Franklin, 2000; Parrott, 2008), there exist few published studies that specifically examine the link between acute alcohol intoxication and bias-motivated aggression toward sexual minorities or any other stigmatized group (Hull & Van Treuren, 1986; Parrott & Miller, 2009). This is a significant oversight in the current literature.…”