The aim of the present study was to assess the significance of the relationships between attitudes toward homosexuality and selected psychological traits such as anxiety, aggression, and empathy. Additionally, homosexual and heterosexual individuals were compared in terms of the intensity of these attitudes and traits. The study included 840 participants, comprising 62 homosexual individuals (Mage = 23.13; SD = 5.88; 67.7% women) and 778 heterosexual individuals (Mage = 23.24; SD = 4.93; 73.4% women). The following psychometric instruments were used: the Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Scale (SPWH), the Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), the Empathic Sensitivity Scale (SWE), and the Anxiety Inventory (STAI). In the Mann–Whitney U analysis, homosexual individuals reported higher levels of supportive attitudes (rg = .471), anger (rg = .208), hostility (rg = .258), personal distress (rg = .271), and trait anxiety (rg = .336), whereas heterosexual individuals showed higher levels of critical (rg = –.486), anxious (rg = –.215), and discriminatory (rg = –.356) attitudes. In the homosexual group, the following significant correlations were observed (p < .05): supportive attitudes were positively associated with empathic concern (rho = .404), personal distress (rho = .402), and perspective taking (rho = .262). Discriminatory attitudes were positively correlated with physical aggression (rho = .276), and trait anxiety was associated with anger (rho = .416) and hostility (rho = .624). Empathic concern and perspective taking were significantly related to lower levels of aggression and more supportive attitudes. These results suggest that emotional and normative profiles differ as a function of sexual orientation.
Book of Abstracts
Attitudes Toward Homosexuality in the Context of Aggression, Anxiety, and Empathy: A Preliminary Report