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Colloquium: On feeling torn about one�s sexuality: The effects of explicit-implicit sexual orientation ambivalence.

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On feeling torn about one�s sexuality: The effects of explicit-implicit sexual orientation ambivalence. : Other events...
Three correlational studies investigated implications associated with explicit-implicit sexual orientation ambivalence for information processing and psychological well-being in samples of straight and gay individuals.

Across the studies, 243 straight participants completed explicit and implicit measures of sexual orientation; in one of these studies, 48 gay participants completed the same measures. Within individual studies, participants also completed measures of self-esteem.

When considering the effects of ambivalence between self-reported and indirectly measured sexual orientation (SO), among straight participants explicit-implicit SO ambivalence was positively associated with time spent deliberating questions on sexual preferences; an effect moderated by the direction of ambivalence. In an attempt to explain this effect, in our third study, straight participants read ambivalence-relevant arguments that were either strong or weak in quality. In line with the effect found previously, the amount of explicit-implicit SO ambivalence positively related to post-message cognitive responses after reading strong but not weak arguments. This effect was also found to be moderated by the direction of ambivalence.

For gay participants, individual differences in explicit-implicit SO ambivalence tended to influence time deliberating sexuality. In addition, explicit-implicit ambivalence in sexual orientation attitudes among gay individuals, but not straight individuals, was related to self-esteem in addition to defensive self-esteem.

Our findings demonstrate the information processing consequences of explicit-implicit ambivalence in both straight and gay individuals when considering an attitude object that has considerable personal relevance. Furthermore, our results highlight that explicit-implicit ambivalence in sexual orientation attitudes may be an important antecedence of psychological well-being in gay-individuals.
Speaker(s) Ben Windsor-Shellard and Geoffrey Haddock
Location The University of Western Australia, Myer Street Lecture Theatre, room 2.06
Contact David Badcock <[email protected]>
Start Tue, 21 Jan 2014 13:00
End Tue, 21 Jan 2014 14:00
Submitted by Elizabeth Thompson <[email protected]>
Last Updated Tue, 10 Feb 2015 15:10
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