Prior interpersonal contact with and attitudes towards gays and lesbians in an interviewing context.

The impact of previous interpersonal contact or exposure to male homosexuals and lesbians on interviewing strategy was assessed. Previous research on attitudes toward homosexuals suggests that prior exposure reduces the negativity of attitudes toward homosexuals. In support of that research and research looking at the use of confirmatory questioning strategies in social interactions, it was expected that individuals with prior exposure to homosexuals and/or positive attitudes toward homosexuals would choose fewer negative information-seeking questions for a proposed interview. The results support previous research findings regarding attitudes towards gay men and lesbians and suggest that pre-interview attitudes and prior exposure may influence interviewer strategy.