Moderators of the LGBTQ Campus Climate and College-Related Outcomes Links

Abstract

In this study, we explored the concurrent and moderating roles of sexual orientation-based microaggressions, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) campus community connection, and positive peer group relations in the links between perceptions of the LGBTQ college campus climate and college-related outcomes (college satisfaction, dropout intentions, and academic and emotional adjustment). Further, we examined if these relations would be stronger for undergraduate versus graduate students. Participants were 873 sexual minority college students who completed a web-based survey. Results indicated several main effects of negative LGBTQ campus climate, sexual orientation-based microaggressions, LGBTQ community connection, positive peer group relations, and graduate student status in predicting college-related outcomes. In addition, two interaction effects emerged. The first revealed that students with high negative perceptions of the LGBTQ campus climate and high sexual orientation-based microaggressions had the lowest college satisfaction. The second indicated that LGBTQ community connection exacerbated the LGBTQ campus climate–dropout intentions link for undergraduate but not graduate students.