2 William Rossi Gaydar: A Set of Simple Stereotypes 0 Lauren Witney 1 Daniel Benkendorf Or a Legitimate Sixth Sense? 7

Introduction Methods Table 1 & Table 2: Target image judgment results for Study 1.

Participants Background and Purpose ● In Study 1, 140 participants, all <35, were given ● “Gaydar” is a pop culture term used to one of two versions of a survey. Each survey was describe an ability to detect whether or not completed by 70 participants. someone is a homosexual. ● Thirteen (13) homosexual males, all <25, were ● Stereotypes are activated automatically, and interviewed for Study 2. people are not always fully aware of how ● All participants were students at a medium-sized stereotypes inform their inferences (Devine, Northeastern university. 1989). Materials ● A stereotype is a learned association between ● Study 1 included two online surveys (Survey A & two social concepts that do not define each Survey B) the presented photos with questions Survey A Survey B other (e.g., fashionable → ) (Cox, asking participants to indicate the sexual Abramson, Devine, & Hollon, 2012). orientation of the individual pictured. ● People’s self-reported experience with gaydar ● Images were obtained (with permission) from Results (continued) Cox’s 2015 study. The images feature face (Shelp, 2002) and the pop cultural framework Study 2 References of gaydar indicate that gaydar seems to rely profiles of men who have identified as gay or ● Seven (7) participants believed gaydar was real. primarily on stereotypic attributes, such as straight. Images were quality matched. These participants believed it was exclusive or Cox, William T. L., et al. "Inferences About Sexual fashion or career choices. ● Study 2 replicated Study 1 using an online survey. more prominent in homosexuals and that it is Orientation: The Roles Of Stereotypes, Faces, And Stereotypes based on inferences and subjective perceptions of The Gaydar Myth." Journal Of Sex Research 53.2

Procedure others. (2016): 157-171. LGBT Life with Full Text. Web. 13 ● Stereotypes are activated automatically, and Study 1 ● Subjects defined the following characteristics April 2016. people are not always fully aware of how ● Instructions varied such that on Survey A there found in a top: masculinity, strength, dominance, Devine, P. G., & Sherman, S. J. (1992). Intuitive versus stereotypes inform their inferences (Devine, was no mention of gaydar or stereotypes large penis size, hair, and a physically larger rational judgment and the role of stereotyping in the 1989). associated with . build/height (than the bottom). Characteristics human condition: Kirk or Spock? Psychological ● Recent work suggests that people can ● Survey B was instructions did mention gaydar and associated with bottoms included: femininity, Inquiry, accurately identify orientation from facial stereotypes of gay men. smaller build/height, young, and smooth. structure (e.g., Rule, Ambady, Adams, & Jussim, Lee. Stereotypes. Rep. N.p.: Cambridge ● Two images of straight men and two images of Macrae, 2008). Dictionary of Psychology, 2006. Web. 13 April 2016. gay men were used. Each photo was followed by ● Researchers have argued that stereotypes Discussion Kippax, S., & Smith, G. (2001). Anal intercourse and questions about the man’s sexual orientation and yield accurate conclusions about orientation power in sex between men. Sexualities. sexual role (i.e., “top” or “bottom”). ● Our study concluded that people’s judgments of (e.g., Rieger, Linsenmeier, Gygax, Garcia, & Rieger, Gerulf, et al. "Dissecting “Gaydar”: Accuracy sexual orientation based on facial characteristics Bailey, 2010). And The Role Of Masculinity–Femininity." Archives Study 2 are often wrong, debunking the notion of gaydar. ● Research has found that people possess a ● Gender roles of femininity and masculinity played Of Sexual Behavior 39.1 (2010): 124-140. LGBT Life ● Participants received the online questionnaire facial perception process enabling them to a large part in the responses relating to sexual with Full Text. Web. 13 April 2016. that included questions on the legitimacy of identify sexual orientation from facial roles. This common association of heterosexual Shelp, S. G. (2002). Gaydar: Visual detection of sexual ‘gaydar’, attributes that lead to assumptions of structure (Cox, Devine, Bischmann, Hyde, sexual roles compared to homosexual sexual roles orientation among gay and straight men. Journal of sexual orientation and preferred sexual roles, 2015). was displayed in responses on stigmas, . ● People stereotype more when led to believe in stigmatization of sexual roles, and stereotyping stereotypes, and public interpretations of one's Tskhay, Konstantin, and Nicholas Rule. "Accurate gaydar, whereas people stereotype less when within the LGBTQ community. own sexual role. Identification Of A Preference For Insertive Versus told gaydar is an alternate label for ● Interviewees identified dress, stature, Receptive Intercourse From Static Facial Cues Of Gay stereotyping (Cox, Devine, Bischmann, & Results mannerisms, and overall external appearance to Men." Archives Of Sexual Behavior 42.7 (2013): Hyde 2015). Study 1 be main inference points for determining a 1217-1222. LGBT Life with Full Text. Web. 13 April Sexual Roles ● Fifty-two percent (52%) of participants rated their person’s sexual identity and preferred sexual role, 2016. ● Sexual roles are key identifiers in gay culture. which were not tested in this study. ● Sexual roles contend have implications gaydar as above average. ● beyond the bedroom and relate to ideas of Sixty-three percent (63%) incorrectly identified submission, vulnerability, and masculinity men’s sexual orientations. Limitations ● The most popular traits participants chose as aiding (Kippax & Smith, 2001). ● Individual differences between our participants in their decision were smile (35%), eyebrows (23%), bone structure (15%), and facial hair (14%). could present a confound--we were not able to Predictions control for most demographic variables. ● ● Participants’ feedback from both surveys included When stereotyping is mentioned participants ● No “versatile” option with reference to preferred will be more likely to rate their gaydar and the comments that gaydar is not real and that the surveys were stereotypical in nature. sexual role was provided. This may have lead perceived sexual orientation of the men as insensitivity and/or inaccuracies in our outcome neutral. measure. ● LGBT and/or more informed participants will

indicate greater confidence in their inferences of the targets’ sexual orientation based on perceptions of their community and personal beliefs.