Research on men who report homophobia- the dread of gay men and lesbians- revealed an interesting result ( Adams, Wright, & Lohr, 1996). Homophobic participants- heterosexual men who agreed with statements such as " I would feel nervous being with a group of homosexuals"- and a comparison group of nonhomophobic men were shown videos of sexual activity, including heterosexual, gay male, and lesbian segments.
Each man's sexual arousal was then assessed by means of a device that measures penile swelling. Curiously, the homophobic men showed greater arousal to the male homosexual images than did the men in the control group.
The psychoanalytic interpretation seems clear: Men troubled by their own homosexual arousal form opposite reactions to this unacceptable feeling, turning their unwanted attraction into " dread." Do these results imply that homophobia is a defense mechanism? If so, which one?