Research finds bisexual women are seen to be ‘more confused, promiscuous, and less inclined to monogamous relationships’
New research published in The Journal of Sex Research, found that bisexual women are seen as "more confused, promiscuous, and less inclined to monogamous relationships" than lesbians and heterosexual women – thereby conforming to that good ol' bisexual stereotype. ​
The article, titled Stereotype Deduction About Bisexual Women​, examined the relationship between explicit knowledge of bisexual stereotypes (e.g. "confusion and promiscuity") and the stereotypical evaluation of bisexual individuals.
Participants were made up of 300 people all based in the US and, given the small number of participants from sexual minority groups in the sample, the study focused only on self-identified heterosexual participants, excluding 38 self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual participants. ​
Speaking to psychology and neuroscience news website, PsyPost, study author Alon Zivony of Tel Aviv University said: “Bisexual people (who are attracted to more than one gender) live in a constant conflict.
"But unlike what is commonly assumed, this conflict is external rather than internal, caused by society’s negative attitudes towards bisexuality.
“On the one hand, society habitually ignores bisexuality. Whenever a person professes any bisexual tendencies, they are automatically categorised as ‘gay, straight, or lying’. On the other hand, bisexuality is associated with immaturity and inability to maintain a relationship.
"My hope is that shedding light on this prejudice can help reduce it and the heavy toll it takes on bisexual individuals.”​
Continuing Zivony added: “Bisexual stereotypes seem to be deduced based on the idea that men and women are opposites: if one holds two opposing attractions, then it stand to reason that this person will be confused.
"However, it is becoming clearer and clearer that gender should not be viewed two dichotomous and opposing categories. Once we let go of the idea that gender is binary, it’s easier to see why bisexuality cannot determine a person’s personality."
According to the research findings, education, visibility, and talking more about bisexuality and bisexual people is what's needed to shift the way in which society sees and thinks of bisexual people.
“We found that individuals who lacked knowledge about bisexuality were more likely to evaluate bisexual women as confused and promiscuous. This means that society’s tendency to ignore bisexuality is harmful to bisexuals,” Zivony warned.
“But this finding is also encouraging to some degree: it means that educating the public about bisexuality can help reduce prejudice and therefore improve the lives of bisexual individuals.
"As a society, we need to talk more about bisexuality.”
Let's get chatting, people (…and that includes those within LGTQ communities too). #DoBetterBiUs
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