Psychopolitical and Cultural Bias in Moral Judgment: Sexism and Homophobia Across Borders

Author ORCID Identifier

0009-0009-5467-9657

Degree Year

2025

Document Type

Thesis - Oberlin Community Only

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Advisor(s)

Rebecca Totton

Committee Member(s)

Ledina Imami
Adam Howat

Keywords

Arab, Muslim, Stereotypes, Sexism, Homophobia, Orientalism, Intersectionality

Abstract

Guided by frameworks of Orientalism and intersectionality from political and social psychology, this research examined whether Americans apply moral double standards when evaluating hate crimes based on gender and sexuality in different geopolitical contexts specifically, comparing incidents occurring in the United States and the Arab/Muslim world. Study 1 focused on gender-based discrimination, exposing participants (N = 204) to vignettes describing a sexist hate crime, while Study 2 centered on sexuality-based discrimination, with participants (N = 201) reading vignettes describing a Queerphobic hate crime. In both studies, conditions varied by geographic location and whether the participant shared the identity of the affected target group (e.g., women, LGBTQ+ individuals).

Findings provided partial support for the proposed hypotheses. Participants reported higher Islamophobia when sexist incidents occurred in the Arab/Muslim world, suggesting the presence of location-based bias aligned with orientalist narratives. However, levels of sexism and homophobia did not significantly differ by location. Affected participants expressed lower in-group prejudice across both studies, with minimal variation across conditions, highlighting the role of identity-based empathy. Additionally, political conservatism and lower proximity to Arabs predicted greater prejudice, especially in relation to Islamophobia and immigration attitudes.

These findings contribute to scholarship in political psychology, intergroup relations, and global human rights by revealing how moral concern is selectively applied across identities and regions. They underscore the risks of leveraging progressive values to reinforce xenophobic or Islamophobic narratives and highlight the need for solidarity frameworks that center shared experiences of marginalization rather than oppositional hierarchies.

Notes

Additional Department: Politics

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