Stereotypes of Sex Workers: The Influence of Sexuality and Modality on Perceived Warmth and Competence

Sex workers remain a population vulnerable to stigma and negative health outcomes, yet little research exists on the stereotyping of sex workers (Ditmore & Florez-Arango, 2024). The present study utilized the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) to investigate perceptions of sex workers and their partners based on sexuality (e.g. heterosexual, homosexual) and modality (e.g. in-person sex work, online sex work.) There were no significant main effects for modality, sexuality, or an interaction effect observed regarding the stereotyping of sex workers. An interaction effect was observed for partner warmth; heterosexual sex workers were rated significantly warmer if their partner was an in-person sex worker opposed to an online sex worker. A significant main effect was observed for partner competence; partners of sex workers were rated significantly more competent if their partner was an in-person sex worker opposed to an online sex worker. Additional research is warranted to confirm these findings.