Applied evaluative conditionnig: prevention of homophobia in a School Context

Abstract

The evaluative conditioning paradigm was applied to prevent homophobia in secondary school education. It was an institutional intervention; all professionals who conducted the program were either teachers or staff. This was a key aspect to implementing the program and the necessary coordination. All intervention was inserted into an educational program which had been previously established to prevent bullying. Pre and post treatment measurements were performed. It started from a baseline with two indicators: homophobic attitudes meassured by visual analogue scales (VAs) in school situations, and the homophobic behavior, measured by the number of incidents (punished homophobic behaviours). It was performed with the methodology of P2P (peers to peers). It was obtained as changes in both indicators, attitudes and behaviour. With relationship to the first indicator, the differences were statistically significant. Homophobic attitudes were significantly reduced. They were evaluated as more favourable in terms of like/dislike. Behaviours such as “sitting near a gay partner” or “to be a friend of someone labelled as gay”, “stick to a teammate labelled gay", significantly more pleasant as assessments were obtained. The second indicator, (punished homophobic behaviours) was reduced, however, was not significant. Some reasons that justify these results will be discussed.