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Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–4Cite as

Genetic Hypotheses of Homophobia

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Synonyms

Homonegativity; Sexual prejudice

Definition

An umbrella term for a negative (attitudinal, affective, or behavioral) response towards homosexuality and homosexuals

Introduction

The impact of the genetic makeup on homophobia and its interplay with environmental factors have been neglected for a long time, because social factors were conceived as purely environmental (e.g., parental socialization) and thought to be the key contributors to the development of attitudes, prejudices, and discriminatory behavior towards homosexuals. The shifts in the scientific paradigms and the subsequent (re-)emergence of biological and genetic hypotheses have led to studies demonstrating genetic influences.

Evidence for a genetic contribution to homophobia comes from behavior genetic studies. For example, a study on 4,688 Australian twins, who completed a questionnaire concerning sexual behavior and attitudes towards homosexuals, found 36 % of individual differences in homophobic attitudes to be...

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Acknowledgement

The authors received support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft KA 4088/2-1.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Psychology and Sports Sciences, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Alexandra Zapko-Willmes

  2. Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany

    Christian Kandler

Authors
  1. Alexandra Zapko-Willmes
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  2. Christian Kandler
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandra Zapko-Willmes .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Zapko-Willmes, A., Kandler, C. (2016). Genetic Hypotheses of Homophobia. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3378-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3378-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

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