Sincere But Suspect: Perceptions of Bisexual Women's Authentic Expression in the Dating Context

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Gender Studies

Background:

• Bisexual women navigate societal gender norms, sometimes adjusting their presentation based on their dating partner's gender.
• This adaptation is termed 'bisexual display' and its impact on authenticity perceptions is under-explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how bisexual displays affect perceptions of bisexual women's authenticity, trustworthiness, likability, and romantic desirability in dating contexts.
• To examine the consequences of adapting behavior and dress for different-gendered dates.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted involving participant evaluations of hypothetical bisexual women.
• Study 1 (N=137) used written descriptions; Study 2 (N=378) employed more realistic dating profiles presented to heterosexual men.

Main Results:

• Participants rated bisexual women exhibiting bisexual displays as less authentic in both studies.
• In Study 1, bisexual displays also led to lower ratings of trustworthiness and likability.
• In Study 2, heterosexual men did not rate bisexual women with bisexual displays as less trustworthy, likable, or romantically desirable.

Conclusions:

• Bisexual displays, while potentially an effort to authentically express identity against gender norms, can paradoxically lead to perceptions of inauthenticity.
• The findings highlight the complex social evaluations bisexual women face in the dating landscape.