Identity Plays
Perceptions of White Women’s Stigma-Based Solidarity Claims and Disingenuous Allyship
Kimberly Chaney, Rebecca Cipollina & Diana Sanchez
Social Psychological and Personality Science, forthcoming
Abstract:
Efforts to promote allyship often focus on creating a common ingroup identity between marginalized and privileged groups, including making salient stigma-based solidarity. In addition, research on allyship perceptions highlights that allies are viewed as more genuine when they are not perceived as motivated by self-interests. Integrating research on allyship perceptions and stigma-based solidarity, the present research examined Black Americans’ perceptions of White women’s allyship messages that focus on stigma-based solidarity. In three experiments (Ntotal = 851), White women claiming stigma-based solidarity highlighting shared perpetrators (Studies 1–3) or shared discrimination (Study 3) were perceived as less genuine allies (i.e., less trustworthy and self-sacrificing) who were motivated to reduce racism for their own self-interests compared to allyship claims that only highlighted racism (Studies 1–3) or no allyship claims (Study 2). These findings add to a growing literature documenting marginalized groups’ suspicion of privileged groups’ motives when claiming allyship.
QAnon Beliefs, Political Radicalization and Support for January 6th Insurrection: A Gendered Perspective
Sophia Moskalenko, Tomislav Pavlović & Brett Burton
Terrorism and Political Violence, forthcoming
Abstract:
This study measured political radicalization and support for the January 6th riot alongside a measure of QAnon conspiracy beliefs in an online survey of 429 U.S.-based participants. The study aimed to investigate how conspiracy theories associated with the QAnon movement relate to support for the January 6th Capitol Hill riot and political radicalization, as well as explore the contribution of the Big 5 personality traits. Additionally, the study explored the gender dimension of QAnon-related radicalization. Belief in QAnon conspiracy theories correlated with intentions for radical political action, and with support for the January 6th insurrection. Agreeableness negatively correlated with QAnon beliefs. In our sample, more women reported believing QAnon conspiracy theories, and their average endorsement of QAnon conspiracies was higher than that of men. In women in our study, support for January 6th riot was positively related to Openness to Experiences, and activism and radicalism were positively related to extraversion; these relationships were reversed among men. These gender differences suggest a different psychology underlying QAnon’s appeal for men versus women, and radicalization stemming from beliefs in QAnon conspiracy theories.
Trajectories of parents' gendered play attitudes during early childhood and implications for children's gender development
Adam Rogers et al.
Child Development, forthcoming
Abstract:
This study examined associations between parents' gendered attitudes about play and children's gender development. The sample was 501 families from a large US city followed annually for 4 years (501 mothers, 383 fathers; 69% White, 16% Latinx, 8% African American; children Mage = 5.67 months, 53% boys). Latent trajectories examined change in parents' attitudes toward same- and other-gender play during first 4 years of the child's life. On a subsample (n = 252), trajectories were examined in relation to children's later gender-typed preferences and gender constancy. Parents grew more gender-flexible in their attitudes, particularly parents of boys. Trajectories reflecting more stereotypic attitudes showed some associations (small in magnitude) with children's gender-typed preferences and gender constancy by age 4.
Caring or Competent? Apparent Prioritization of Childcare Over Work Affects Evaluations and Stereotyping of Fathers
Kelsey Neuenswander, Elizabeth Haines & Steven Stroessner
Sex Roles, September 2023, Pages 328–346
Abstract:
The Role Prioritization Model (RPM; Haines & Stroessner, 2019) proposes that evaluations of gender-incongruent behavior depend on the degree to which actions imply prioritization of earning versus childrearing responsibilities. When behavior indicates prioritization of gender-atypical roles (a family focus for men and a professional focus for women), they will be judged as poor representatives of their gender and low on gender-stereotypical traits (i.e., men as competent and women as warm). Four experiments examined these hypotheses focusing on fathers’ perceived prioritization of family versus earning responsibilities. Study 1 verified that men and women are expected to prioritize breadwinning and caregiving roles, respectively, and that subtle context cues (i.e., whether men care for a child on a workday or weekend) affect the perceived prioritization of roles. Studies 2 and 3 demonstrated that gender role incongruency (fathers caring for young children) produces a competence penalty when the context suggests prioritizing family over work (i.e., when men are described as caring for a child on a workday). In contrast, judgments of men are enhanced when the context suggests that expected prioritization is met (i.e., when men are described as caring for a child on the weekend). Study 4 showed that this penalty was attenuated by cues suggesting that men balance work and family responsibilities. These results are considered in terms of perceived role prioritization and consequences of gender incongruent behavior for men and women.
Prejudice among egalitarians: The case of values and weight bias
Nicolas Souchon et al.
European Journal of Social Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
Many domains of research suggest that high favourability to social power and low favourability to egalitarian ideals predict more prejudice against other groups. In the present article, we describe theory and evidence suggesting that the relations between power, egalitarianism and prejudice may be reversed for one group: fat men. Using both implicit and explicit measures, we found across four studies (N = 602) that target gender moderated the relation between values and attitude toward fat people. For male targets, implicitly but not explicitly measured positivity toward power (over egalitarian) values predicted significantly more spontaneous positive attitudes toward fat (over slim) people. Further, implicit attitude toward power (over egalitarian) values predicted the time-pressured decision to choose a fat male. Together, the implicit evaluation of values allows us to identify processes in inter-group attitudes and behaviours that would not be possible to detect using explicit measures of values alone.
Negative multicultural experiences can increase intergroup bias
Salvatore Affinito et al.
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, November 2023
Abstract:
Multicultural experiences -- such as living, traveling, or working abroad -- can have many psychological benefits, including decreasing intergroup bias. However, unlike the intergroup contact literature, research on multicultural experiences has yet to examine whether the valence of these experiences may moderate such outcomes. So, could multicultural experiences actually increase intergroup bias? Five studies reveal that multicultural experiences increase (rather than decrease) intergroup bias when those experiences are negative (rather than positive). Across multiple methods (recall priming; virtual reality simulation), and experiences across multiple countries, negative multicultural experiences increased intergroup bias (stereotyping; prejudice) -- both to groups associated, and stigmatized groups not associated, with the specific multicultural experience. This increased bias did not extend to ingroup members or non-human targets. The impact of negative multicultural experiences on increased bias was mediated by changes in intergroup ideologies/worldviews – specifically social dominance orientation. These findings reveal how multicultural experiences can be a double-edged sword in our increasingly globalized world.
Do Demographic Increases in LGBT and Nonreligious Americans Increase Threat?
Cameron Mackey & Kimberly Rios
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, forthcoming
Abstract:
Building on previous research demonstrating that demographic growth of racial minorities increases realistic threat and prejudice among majority group members, we examined whether demographic increases of groups associated with symbolic threat (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender [LGBT] and nonreligious groups) increased realistic threat, symbolic threat, and/or prejudice. In a single-paper meta-analysis across four studies, participants who read that LGBT groups were becoming more prevalent in the United States exhibited heightened perceptions of realistic threat and (especially) symbolic threat from these groups, which in turn predicted anti-LGBT prejudice. Two similar studies examining the growth of nonreligious groups demonstrated weaker effects. Implications for America’s growing diversity and future directions for studying these effects are discussed.
Acting gender: Actors’ experiences of gender role conformity and hopes for their characters
Clare Cook, Thomas Pollet & Jamie Callahan
Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, forthcoming
Abstract:
Studies have found that audiences are often presented with characters that conform with traditional gender roles but there to date has been no empirical investigation into these characters from the actors’ perspective. We investigated the extent to which actors (n = 318) were required to conform to traditional gender roles in the course of their work and the disparity between their acted and ideal characters. We found that both male and female actors were required to portray traditional gender roles but that men were required to conform with these traditional notions of gender to a greater extent, resulting in the broadcast of a masculinized ideal. Both male and female actors indicated they would prefer to portray characters that conform less with traditional gender roles than their most recent character. Our findings support calls from audience-driven research for a movement away from the portrayal of traditional gender roles within the arts.