The role of values in understanding attitudes toward lesbians and gay men

Seventy-one undergraduate participants completed the Rokeach Values Inventory and Herek's Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale. Six values correlated significantly with attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: salvation, obedience, and national security correlated with negative attitudes; broad-minded, a world of beauty, and imaginative correlated with positive attitudes. Because values are more stable than attitudes, we suggest that those attempting to improve attitudes toward lesbians and gay men use arguments that are consonant with the existing values of prejudiced individuals.