How does Victoria Clarke's research contribute to our understanding of same-sex relationships in social psychology?

Victoria Clarke’s research uses social‑psychological experiments to show how people’s expectations about gender and sexuality shape how they see same‑sex couples. By measuring attitudes before and after exposure to stories about gay partners, she demonstrates that stereotypes can be reduced when people learn that same‑sex relationships have similar qualities to opposite‑sex ones. Her work also reveals that the context in which a relationship is presented—such as in a workplace or a family setting—can alter the perceived legitimacy of the partnership. For example, a study found that framing a same‑sex couple’s shared household as “normal” reduced prejudice more than simply stating that they were married. These findings help explain why societal attitudes shift when people are given concrete, relatable examples of same‑sex relationships.