Evaluations of Parenting by Same-Sex vs Different-Sex Couples among Heterosexual University Students: Experimental Between-Subjects Vignette Design Study

Abstract

Despite the decline in prejudice towards LGBT people, the issue of parenthood is still controversial with negative attitudes towards LGBT parents being openly expressed. This study aimed to examine attitudes towards parenting by same-sex couples using a vignette design. Parenting condition (parent's negative vs positive reaction), active parent's gender (mother vs father) and family composition (different-sex vs same-sex couple) were varied to test differences in the evaluations of parenting, child behaviour, family environment, social distance and willingness to grant rights. 392 heterosexual and cisgender students from the University of Zagreb (87% female, 13% male), aged 18 to 37, participated in an online study. After reading one of the eight vignettes, participants evaluated parenting, child behaviour, family environment, social distance and rights of the family described in the vignette. The results showed that parenting and family environment were evaluated as better, and participants were less convinced that the child's behaviour is the result of parents' relationship in the positive parenting condition than in the negative. Social distance was lower towards parents in the positive parenting condition than in the negative and-unexpectedly-towards same-sex in comparison to different-sex couples. Participants were more inclined to grant family rights to parents from the positive than to those from the negative parenting condition. Although other results suggested unbiased attitudes towards same-sex couples' parenting, participants were less inclined to grant same-sex couples family rights in comparison to different-254 Revija za sociologiju | Croatian Sociological Review 49 (2019), 2: 253-281 sex couples. The findings reflect an important mechanism underlying the stability of prejudice-a resistance towards generalising attitudes from individual cases to a group. This can be used in efforts to confront prejudice against parenting among LGBT people.

On the Attribution of Parental Competence: Parents’ Behavior Matters, not Their Sexual Orientation

“…In sum, the consistent Study 1 and Study 2 results fit into previous research that did not find any evidence for a social perception disadvantage of LG parenthood (Camilleri & Ryan, 2006;Di Battista et al, 2021;Kranz, 2020Kranz, , 2022Massey, 2008;McCutcheon & Morrison, 2015;Štrbić et al, 2019;Tušl et al, 2020). Importantly, the statistical power of our studies met the typically recommended level (0.80, according to Cohen, 1988); that is, the chance of finding the hypothesized interaction effect, if it existed, was sufficient.…”

“…Both Studies 1 and 2 also considered, in addition to the experimental variables, participants' levels of traditional and modern homonegativity, and, for control purpose, participants' tendencies toward socially desirable responding. Social desirability is always a concern when investigating anti-LG prejudice (Brown & Groscup, 2009;Hudson & Ricketts, 1980); however, it was not controlled for in the studies by Massey et al (2013), Štrbić et al (2019), andTušl et al (2020).…”

“…After reading the vignette, participants are asked to rate the vignette target's parental competence (or other childor family-related variables). As hypothesized based on persisting anti-LG prejudice, most studies found that LG targets were judged more negatively than their heterosexual counterparts; a considerable number of studies, however, did not find the expected LG target disadvantage (Camilleri & Ryan, 2006;Di Battista et al, 2021;Kranz, 2020Kranz, , 2022Massey, 2008;McCutcheon & Morrison, 2015;Štrbić et al, 2019;Tušl et al, 2020).…”

“…Many of them, as the present one, used a vignette approach. Study participants are presented with a couple who want to become parents (Camilleri & Ryan, 2006;Crawford & Solliday, 1996;Gato & Fontaine, 2013, 2016a, 2016bKranz, 2020Kranz, , 2022McCutcheon & Morrison, 2015;Rye & Meaney, 2010;Sohr-Preston et al, 2017;Steffens et al, 2015;Webb et al, 2020) or with parents who are challenged by their child's behavior (Baiocco et al, 2013;Carnaghi et al, 2018;Di Battista et al, 2021;Kranz, 2022;Massey, 2008;Massey et al, 2013;McLeod et al 1999;Morse et al 2007;O'Flynn & White 2020;Štrbić et al 2019;Tušl et al 2020). In these vignettes, everything is kept constant, except for the sexual orientation of the (future) parents (and, possibly, further factors of interest).…”