Stripping Humanity: A Multiple Mediation Analysis of Bias Toward Asexual Parents

Some studies have shown that the identities of asexual individuals can be devalued and invalidated through processes of dehumanization. However, research examining dehumanization and attitudes toward asexual parents remains scarce. Drawing on the dual model of dehumanization, this experimental study aimed to investigate the denial of traits associated with human nature (HN; denial of basic human emotions) and human uniqueness (HU; denial of a rational mind), as well as perceptions of parenting competence and warmth attributed to different maternal targets. It was hypothesized that asexual mothers would be judged more negatively on the HN dimension, but not on the HU dimension, compared to allosexual mothers. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that perceived behavior toward children, assessed in terms of warmth, would be associated with the denial of HN (but not HU) for asexual mothers. The study involved 298 participants (Mage = 35.97, SD = 15.04), who read one of three scenarios that were identical except for the sexual orientation of the mother: (1) heterosexual allosexual mother; (2) lesbian allosexual mother; and (3) asexual mother. Participants were then asked to evaluate the target with dehumanization measures and perceived parenting behaviors. Results showed that the asexual mother was perceived more negatively than all other targets across all variables. Moreover, parallel mediation analyses revealed that the perception of a lack of warmth in the asexual mother (compared to the other targets) was mediated by the denial of HN, but not HU. In contrast, both HN and HU were found to mediate judgments of parental competence. These findings provide initial evidence of stigma faced by asexual parents, highlighting the need for further research into the attitudes directed toward them.