We're pleased to welcome Dr. Marah Al-Kire, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, to deliver our second fall colloquium - "Biased to Belong: Conservative Christians Report Greater Anti-LGBTQ Bias When They Feel Low Belonging." Join us on Friday the 11th from 2-3pm in Xavier 201.

Abstract:
Although public attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals have improved over time, some groups still hold biases against them, known as sexual prejudice. Politically conservative Christian Americans, like White evangelicals, report the highest levels of sexual prejudice. We suggest that conservative Christians might feel compelled to display sexual prejudice due to perceived social norms within their group. Additionally, showing this normative bias could serve to boost their ingroup esteem when their sense of belonging is challenged. Across eight studies, we demonstrate that people hold a stereotype that conservative Christians are sexually prejudiced (stereotype), that conservative Christians believe being sexually prejudiced is part of being a good Christian (sanctioned norm), and that when conservative Christians feel like bad Christians (low belonging), they report greater anti-LGBTQ bias (compensatory function of sanctioned bias). These studies shed light on some of the discrepancies in public attitudes toward LGBTQ individuals as well as the social psychological function of group-sanctioned biases.

 All are welcome to attend.