This study investigated implicit and explicit measures of anti-gay prejudice and tested empathy as a means of reducing it. Thirty-four undergraduates read a story prime, and completed an implicit and an explicit measure of anti-gay prejudice. It was hypothesized that there would not be a relationship between the measures and that the empathy group would score lower than the control group on both measures. The results showed that the implicit and explicit measures were not significantly correlated. The empathy group scored lower than the control group on both measures; this difference was marginally significant for the implicit measure but was not significant for the explicit measure. This study suggests that empathy may be an effective strategy for reducing anti-gay prejudice.

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Faculty supervisor: Suzanne C. Thompson, Pomona College

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