Mediating role of prejudice in the relationship between conservatism and support for sexual reorientation

Abstract

People's political support for therapeutic practice of gay cure may be motivated by the homophobic prejudice driven by conservative groups. In this article, we analyze the problem of political support for gay cure therapy SGCT by proposing the hypothesis that this support is motivated by conservatism and that this relationship is mediated by prejudice against homosexuals. We also propose that the role of prejudice in the relationship between conservatism and SGCT is moderated by beliefs about the nature of homosexuality. We tested these hypotheses in three studies. In Study 1 n 249), we found that conservative values predict SGCT and this effect is partly mediated by prejudice. In Study 2 n 247), we replicated this media tion and found that it was moderated by ethical religious beliefs and psychological beliefs about the nature of homosexuality. Study 3 n 210) experimentally tested showing the political consequences of SGCT Through sequential mediation, we showed that more conservative individuals tend to absolve psychologists who practice gay cure therapy Taken together, the results of this research have important implications for understanding the political significance of SGCT and the psychosocial process that motiv ates social support for its implementation.