Researchers identify two key factors driving prejudice against asexual individuals

Researchers have identified two primary factors contributing to prejudice against individuals on the asexual spectrum. The findings, published in The Journal of Sex Research, suggest that societal norms of allonormativity and amatonormativity play significant roles in shaping negative attitudes toward a-spec people. A. Catarina Carvalho, a social psychology PhD candidate, led the study, which aimed to understand how the general public perceives a-spec individuals based on their sexual and romantic experiences.

The research involved 486 participants, who were surveyed about their beliefs surrounding a-spec identities. Participants largely agreed that a lack of sexual attraction defined a-spec identities, while those who identified as LGBTQ+ or a-spec held more nuanced views. In a subsequent phase, 292 participants read scenarios about a-spec couples, either with or without sexual activity.

Heterosexual participants consistently attributed fewer positive and more negative emotions to a-spec couples compared to heterosexual couples, regardless of sexual activity. This effect held true even when participants knew they were controlling for pre-existing prejudices against asexuality. The researchers also conducted an additional experiment with 232 heterosexual adults, focusing on romantic norms.

Aromantic a-spec individuals received the steepest penalty for violating romantic expectations, suggesting that non-allosexual romantic experiences are particularly stigmatized. Overall, the study reveals how rigid societal expectations contribute to infrahumanization, a form of stigma that devalues a-spec individuals' unique emotional capacities and experiences.