An extensive and growing body of research has demonstrated that knowing someone who is gay, lesbian, or bisexual can substantially increase support for policies, such as same‐sex marriage, that are designed to promote equal rights for gays. However, cognitive psychological theories and contemporary theories of public opinion also suggest that the effect of interpersonal contact could be highly contextual, facing limitations based on the context and prior beliefs or stereotypes of the contact situation. This article explores the limitations implied by these theories and tests for heterogeneity in the contact effect according to the individual's predispositions. We find considerable variability in the contact effect based on ideology, religion, culture, and other important political groups, such as white southern evangelicals. We conclude by considering the practical and policy implications of these limitations in the ability of interpersonal contact to generate support for same‐sex marriage and other gay rights policies. Un extenso y creciente cuerpo de investigación ha demostrado que conocer a alguien gay, lesbiana, o bisexual puede aumentar sustancialmente el apoyo a políticas tales como la del matrimonio entre parejas del mismo sexo que están diseñadas para promover la igualdad de derechos de los gays. Sin embargo, teorías cognitivas psicológicas y teorías contemporáneas de opinión pública también sugieren que el efecto del contacto interpersonal puede ser altamente contextual, lo que enfrenta limitaciones basadas en el contexto y creencias previas o los estereotipos de la situación en la que se da el contacto. Este artículo explora las limitantes sugeridas por estas teorías y examina la heterogeneidad en el efecto del contacto basado en ideología, religión, cultura, y otros grupos políticos importantes tales como los evangélicos blancos sureños. Concluimos considerando las implicaciones prácticas y para la hechura de políticas de estas limitaciones del contacto interpersonal para generar apoyo para el matrimonio entre parejas del mismo sexo y otras políticas de derechos de los gays.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.