The Predictive Role of Ideological, Personality and Psychopathological Factors in Homonegative Attitudes in Italy

Homonegativity refers to a series of prejudicial and discriminatory attitudes towards individuals perceived as homosexuals. Previous studies indicated that some personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, low openness to experience), as well as specific ideological attitudes (i.e., conservatism, authoritarianism) and higher levels of psychopathology make individuals more prone to show homonegative attitudes. However, no studies have compared these three dimensions in order to identify their different role in homonegativity. For this reason, the aim of this study was to simultaneously evaluate the association of ideological, personality, and psychopathological factors with homonegativity in adults living in Italy. Participants were 307 heterosexual adults (males = 46%) ranging in age between 19 and 66 years (M = 28.74, SD = 10.65), who completed four self-report questionnaires: Modern Homophobia Scale, Right-Wing Authoritarianism Scale, NEO Five-Factor Inventory 3, and Symptom Check List-90-R. A structural equation model was computed to examine the relation between ideological, personality, and psychopathological factors and homonegativity. Results showed that ideological factors, particularly authoritarian attitudes and religiosity, were mostly related with homonegativity, while lower agreeableness and lower psychopathology were significantly albeit more weakly associated with homonegativity in adults living in Italy. Methodological limitations and implications for interventions are discussed.