Jonker, Alicia (2024) Who is Asexual? An Exploration of Laypeople’s Asexual Stereotypes and The Effect of Prototypicality on Recognition of Asexual People. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Previous research found that asexual people face negative reactions, and that heterosexual people hold negative attitudes towards asexual people. However, it is still unclear what underlies heterosexual people’s perceptions of asexual people and why they respond negatively. Therefore, this thesis aimed to investigate stereotypes of asexuality and their effect on recognition of someone as asexual across two preregistered studies. Using 201 heterosexual participants from the UK, traits associated with asexuality were collected in Study 1 and coded for their valence. Analysis found that the prototype of asexuality is negatively valenced and that there is a correlation between attitudes towards asexuality and the valence of stereotypes provided. Next, Study 2 (N = 328) used an experimental design to test the effect of prototypicality and personal attitudes towards sex on participants’ recognition of the asexual target’s asexuality. As expected, sex-averse asexual targets were recognised as asexual more than sex-favourable asexual targets. However, contrary to our expectations, counter-prototypical asexual targets were recognised as asexual more than prototypical asexual targets. While we bring the first findings that personal attitudes towards sex play a role in recognition of asexuality, more research is needed into the content of stereotypes of asexuality and their effect on recognition.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Koc, Y. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Applied Social Psychology (ASP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Aug 2024 10:17 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Aug 2024 10:17 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4294 |
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