Legal same-sex relationships : a replication of Schmitt, Lehmiller and Walsh's study on heterosexual identity threat

Abstract

In a novel approach, Schmitt, Lehmiller, and Walsh (2007) investigated the preferred support amongst the US public for same-sex civil unions over same-sex marriage. The current research replicated the second experimental study presented by Schmitt et al. (2007) amongst heterosexual undergraduate students (N = 116) who attended psychology classes at the University of Malta. Participants were presented one of two versions of a hypothetical state law, both laws legally acknowledged same-sex relationships and differed only in the relationship label used (marriage against civil union). In accordance to the social identity approach (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) adopted, support for same-sex civil unions was higher than support for same-sex marriage. Contrary to predictions, when compared to responses for the civil union label, the marriage label was not considered by the participants as posing a higher threat to heterosexual identity. Results outline the role of relationship labels in support for same-sex relationship legislation as highlighted by Schmitt et al. (2007). Responses also suggesting the role of socially desirable principles of equal rights in a liberal cultural context in relation to the expression of identity concerns. Moreover, support for both laws may have occurred without differing levels of identity threat once participants departed from the normative framework of non-recognition.