Abstract

Homosexuality has long been a major topic of concern among political, social, and religious agendas. Societies have either labeled homosexuality as deviant or non-deviant behavior. This type of categorization has lead to many negative assumptions about those who hold a different type of sexual orientation other than heterosexual. According to Pachankis and Goldfried, (2008, p. 3), “Gay male undergraduate students reported a higher fear of negative evaluation and greater social interaction anxiety than did heterosexual students.” Students in educational systems who are homosexual, bisexual, lesbian, or transgendered often battle with peer evaluation. The knowledge of students’ perceptions, attitudes, and comfort levels on homosexuality can create a base for future studies on the origins of these perceptions. Gaining a better understanding of these variables could possibly produce more effective support programs on campuses for LGBT student communities. The analysis of the general perceptions of homosexuality on a small private university (Lindenwood University) revealed that females had higher comfort levels and more positive attitude than males. The perceptions evaluated in the study reported that in general, students had a positive perspective on homosexuality.

Recommended Citation

Huerta, Verenna and Morrill, Taylor (2009) "General Perceptions of Homosexuality in a Small Private University in The Greater Saint Louis Area," Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal: Vol. 1: Iss. 10, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/psych_journals/vol1/iss10/10