The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE) on negative attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women (homonegativity). The influence of religious beliefs and the notion of homosexuality as a choice were also examined in combination with PWE in regards to homonegativity. Previous research suggested that those who subscribe to the PWE have more negative attitudes towards societal out-groups (e.g., African-Americans). Thus, it was hypothesized that those with high PWE scores would display more homonegative attitudes. A significant correlation between PWE and homonegativity supported this hypothesis. Multiple regression analyses revealed that PWE interacted with religious beliefs, and religious beliefs interacted marginally with the idea of homosexuality as a choice. Those with high religious beliefs and who strongly believed that homosexuality was a choice were more likely to have negative attitudes towards homosexuals. The implications of these findings are discussed, with particular respect to reducing homonegative attitudes.

W e surveyed psychology majors who paduated between 1967 and 1986 to investigate gender and cohort differences in curreht perceptions of undergraduate course usefulness, postbaccalaureate education, and occupational achievements. W e found that more women than men (a) obtained bacheh's degrees inpsychology during the 20-year period; (b) earned advanced degrees in psychology and psychology-related fields; and 4c) in recent years, worked in psychology a d psychology-related positions. The two courses most frequently named as useful since graduation were Abnormal Psychology and Methodology. Our results provide evidence for the male flight from and the resulting feminization of the undergraduate psychology major.

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