Year: 2013
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Gay men experience, internalize, and expect more stigma than do their lesbian and bisexual men/women peers (Herek, 2009;Balsam & Mohr, 2007).Subsequently, it is important to investigate gay men's beliefs about themselves, such as the stereotypical assumption of gay men's inability to have or maintain romantic relationships (Meyer & Dean, 1998;Peplau, 1991).Using a combination of the minority stress model (specifically, experienced discrimination, stigma consciousness, internalized heterosexism and self-concealment) and self-efficacy theory, two path models were constructed to explore this association with the novel relationship constructs of relationship self-efficacy and optimism.The investigation improved past research by the measurement of the minority stress variables, the use of a sample of only gay men, and the use of social media data collection.To test these models, 522 participants were collected.Although both models were outright rejected, three surprising findings emerged.First, the self-efficacy mediation model was supported after a slight alteration to include a direct path from internalized heterosexism to relationship optimism.Secondly, a positive path emerged from experiences of discrimination to relationship self-efficacy.Thirdly, support was found for using an exploratory feminist model which included experiences of discrimination as antecedents to proximal stress processes of minority stress.The findings are discussed in terms of contributions to and future directions for the minority stress model and the inclusion of feminist theory in the
Author: Michael J. Andorka
Institution: University of Akron
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2262015952