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The interplay of empathy, oneness and perceived similarity in mediating the effects of perspective taking on prosocial responses
Full text linkPerspective taking has been identified as one of the most promising techniques for reducing prejudice and promoting more harmonious intergroup relationships. Yet, there is little consensus on which mechanisms can better account for such beneficial effects (see Batson & Ahamad, 2009 and Galinsky, Ku & Wang, 2005). The present work aimed at providing an integrative view of how perspective taking can promote prosocial responses to stigmatized others, by simultaneously examining the mediating role of empathy, oneness and perceived interpersonal similarity.
Four experimental studies were conducted in the context of interethnic relationships in Italy. In the first three studies, perspective taking was manipulated through written instructions, while in the fourth study two of the key mediators were manipulated by varying participants’ attentional focus on feelings vs. similarities. For all studies, mediation processes were examined adopting a structural equation model approach. Results showed that participants encouraged to take the perspective of a young Moroccan woman, while she described her difficulties associated with being immigrant, subsequently reported more positive attitudes both toward her (Studies 1-3) and toward North-African immigrants in general (Studies 2-3); moreover, they expressed stronger intentions to help the needy woman (Study 3) and greater support for prosocial policies aimed at benefiting the whole category of North-African immigrants (Studies 1-3). Mediation analyses indicated that the effects of perspective taking on improved attitudes were primarily mediated by increased empathic concern felt for the target, while the indirect effect on support for prosocial policies passed through self-reported feelings of injustice (Studies 1-2). Importantly, although perspective taking elicited greater sadness and personal distress, these aversive affective states could not account for its effects on prosocial responses (Study 2). In Study 3, perspective taking lead first to higher levels of emotional arousal, which then resulted in increased oneness, which was finally a powerful, proximal predictor of prosocial outcomes. Notably, although perspective taking and empathic concern lead to reduced discrepancy in representations of the self and the other, this cognitive merging was not a significant mediator. Thus, the perception of oneness seemed to reflect care for the target’s welfare and a sense of interconnectedness with the other rather than a merge of identities. Supporting this idea, in Study 4, self-reported empathic concern and felt care for the target’s welfare emerged as strong predictors of prosocial responses, while the perception of oneness based on interpersonal similarity was not.Tra le strategie per la riduzione del pregiudizio e il miglioramento dei rapporti intergruppi, l’assunzione della prospettiva dell’altro sembra essere una delle più promettenti. Tuttavia, la natura dei meccanismi coinvolti è ancora piuttosto controversa (si veda Batson & Ahamad, 2009 e Galinsky, Ku & Wang, 2005). L’obiettivo del presente lavoro è quello di fornire una visione integrata di come l’assunzione di prospettiva possa promuovere risposte prosociali nei confronti degli altri stigmatizzati, esaminando contemporaneamente il ruolo di mediazione dell’empatia, della fusione sé-altro (oneness) e della percezione di somiglianze.
Sono stati condotti quattro studi sperimentali nel contesto delle relazioni interetniche in Italia. Nei primi tre studi, l’assunzione di prospettiva è stata manipolata attraverso istruzioni scritte, mentre nel quarto studio sono stati manipolati due mediatori chiave attraverso la manipolazione del focus attentivo su emozioni vs. somiglianze. Per tutti gli studi, i processi di mediazione sono stati analizzati adottando l’approccio dei modelli di equazione strutturale. I risultati mostrano che le partecipanti istruite ad assumere la prospettiva di una ragazza marocchina, che raccontava le sue difficoltà legate all’essere immigrata, successivamente esprimevano un atteggiamento più favorevole sia nei suoi confronti (Studi 1-3) che del suo gruppo di appartenenza (Studi 2 e 3), ad essere più disponibili ad aiutarla (Studio 3) e a sostenere politiche prosociali a favore degli immigrati Nordafricani in generale (Studi 1-3). Le analisi di mediazione indicano che gli effetti dell’assunzione di prospettiva sugli atteggiamenti erano mediati principalmente dai sentimenti di preoccupazione empatica per il target, mentre gli effetti indiretti sull’adozione di politiche prosociali passavano attraverso i sentimenti di ingiustizia (Studi 1-2). È da notare che, anche se l’assunzione di prospettiva era associata ad un aumento della tristezza e del distress esperiti, questi due stati affettivi aversivi non erano in grado di spiegarne gli effetti sulle risposte prosociali (Studio 2). Nel terzo studio, l’assunzione di prospettiva era associata anzitutto con un incremento delle reazioni emotive, le quali a loro volta portavano ad un maggiore senso di fusione tra sé e l’altro, che, infine, prediceva atteggiamenti più positivi e comportamenti prosociali. Invece, la ridotta discrepanza delle rappresentazioni cognitive di sé e del target, pur essendo associata all’assunzione di prospettiva e alla preoccupazione empatica, non era un mediatore significativo. Quindi, sembra che la percezione di unione con l’altro riflettesse un interesse per il suo benessere e un senso di interconnessione, più che una vera e propria fusione delle identità. Infatti, a sostegno di quest’interpretazione, i risultati dello Studio 4 hanno evidenziato come fossero la preoccupazione empatica per l’altro e l’interesse per il suo benessere a predire i diversi tipi di risposte sociali, mentre la percezione di fusione basata sulla somiglianza interpersonale non spiegava tali risposte
Il pregiudizio. Cosa è, come si riduce.
No full textIn una realtà sociale sempre più composita e diversificata, la necessità di comprendere cosa sia il pregiudizio e come sia possibile ridurlo è di cruciale importanza per promuovere una convivenza pacifica e armoniosa tra persone appartenenti a culture, etnie, religioni e gruppi sociali diversi. Questo volume affronta tali tematiche illustrando i principali modelli teorici e contributi di ricerca proposti nell’ambito della più recente psicologia sociale.
Dopo un’introduzione che delinea le caratteristiche del fenomeno, le sue basi cognitive e motivazionali, le diverse forme che può assumere, e le conseguenze per chi ne è vittima, viene presentata un’approfondita ed articolata analisi delle diverse strategie per ridurre i pregiudizi e le discriminazioni intergruppi. In particolare, vengono descritti gli effetti positivi dell’assunzione della prospettiva e dell’empatia sperimentata nei confronti di persone appartenenti a gruppi estranei, gli sviluppi più recenti della classica ipotesi del contatto intergruppi e, infine, le strategie che agiscono direttamente sul processo di categorizzazione, considerato la radice principale dei fenomeni pregiudiziali
Mediated moderation in the relation between contact and prejudice reduction: The role of intergroup anxiety and prototypicality.
No full textIn this study we examine the process that links intergroup contact to prejudice reduction, considering the relation between Italians and immigrants. In particular, we test whether the effect of contact is moderated by group salience and mediated by intergroup anxiety, and whether this process corresponds to a mediated moderation or to a moderated mediation. Moreover, as moderators we will consider different types of group salience: comparative fit, self-prototypicality and prototypicality of the known immigrants. The results are consistent with a mediated moderation process: a frequent and positive contact is effective in reducing prejudice when the known immigrants are perceived as prototypical of their group, and this relation is mediated by intergroup anxiety. In particular, in the mediated moderation analysis, it turns out that the moderation concerns the link between contact and anxiet
Positive and negative episodes of direct and mediated contact: Differential effects on prejudice
No full textThis paper shows that, in the study of the effects of intergroup contact, it is useful to take into account the distinction between positive and negative episodes of contact, for both direct interactions and contact through mass media
Assunzione della prospettiva di una persona malata di AIDS. Effetti su empatia, vicinanza sé-altro e pregiudizio
No full textIn un esperimento si indaga se assumere la prospettiva di una ragazza malata di AIDS possa influenzare l'empatia e la vicinanza sé-altro in relazione alla persona-target e migliorare i giudizi generali nei confronti dell'intera categoria delle persone malate di AIDS. I risultati mostrano che quando si immagina la situazione della ragazza (prospettiva altro), i miglioramenti riguardano soprattutto l'empatia e i sentimenti generali verso la categoria. La richiesta di immedesimazione nella situazione del target (prospettiva sé) produce invece effetti legati all'attivazione del concetto di sé, provocando un aumento della sovrapposizione delle rappresentazioni cognitive del sé e dell'altro e un incremento del distress, nonché un maggiore accordo con politiche prosociali a sostegno delle persone malate di AIDS
FEELINGS ASSOCIATED WITH ROMAPHOBIA
No full textThe Roma are a stigmatized group of people who have suffered discrimination throughout Europe for centuries. However, the recent massive migrations of Roma from Romania to Western Europe have exacerbated the so called Romaphobia and Antiziganism (Piasere 2012) in host countries. Empirical data (Ljujic et al., 2012) support the notion of Romaphobia as a qualitatively distinct type of prejudice. As part of an articulated investigation involving five EU countries (“MigRom: “The immigration of Romanian Roma to Western Europe: Causes, effects, and future engagement strategies”), this study aims to map Italian citizens’ feelings towards Romanian Roma (RR) and analyse how these emotions are associated with: 1) Perceived threats in terms of physical safety, public health, private property, the job market and economic resources; 2) attitudes towards RR; 3) stereotypes that the participants attribute to RR with reference to the warmth-competence model (Fiske et al., 2002). An on-line questionnaire was administered to 221 Italian residents. It included a list of 16 emotions, measures of attitudes, stereotypes and perceived threats. Participants reported a more negative attitude towards RR as compared to other groups of immigrants. They expressed more negative than positive feelings, with contempt and irritation being strongly associated with negative attitudes, while interest and sympathy were moderately correlated with positive attitudes. The stereotypes that were most frequently attributed to RR were sly, dirty, criminal, and poor and the only positive adjective was musical. Similarly, the most intense emotions elicited by RR were suspicion, anxiety and fear which was highly correlated with physical threat and danger. However, the emotions that showed the highest correlations with perceived threats and negative adjectives were anger and disgust. Interestingly, the participants were also curious about the RR. To date, few studies have investigated the emotions elicited by Roma people and the specific threats associated with them. Knowledge about the feelings that shape attitudes towards RR could help policy makers to address the social problems associated with multi-cultural coexistence and to choose the best acculturation strategies for both migrants and hosting communities. Piasere L. (2012). Scenari dell'antiziganismo. SEID. LjujicV.,Vedder P., Dekker H., Van Geel M. (2012). Romaphobia: A Unique Phenomenon? Romani Studies. 22(2), 141-152. Fiske S.T., Cuddy A.J.C., Glick P., Jun X. (2002). A Model of (Often Mixed) Stereotype Content: Competence and Warmth Respectively Follow From Perceived Status and Competition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 82(6), 878–902
The effectiveness of intergroup contact at work: Mediators and moderators of hospital workers' prejudice towards immigrants
No full textThe present research examines the effectiveness of intergroup contact between 167 Italian hospital workers and foreign patients in reducing prejudice towards immigrants in general. The outcomes of contact at work were analysed controlling for the influence of contact outside the workplace and through mass media, and taking into account the role of empathy, anxiety and group membership salience. Results indicate that the beneficial effects of contact at work were partially mediated by increased empathy and reduced anxiety, experienced both in the work environment and towards immigrants in general. Finally, high levels of group membership salience facilitated the influence of contact on intergroup emotions. These findings show that contact at work can be a powerful means to reduce prejudice, thanks to its capacity to evoke changes in affective responses
Religiosity, the sinner and the sin: Different patterns of prejudice toward homosexuals and homosexuality
No full textIn this study, we analyzed the relationship between religiosity and sexual prejudice. We examined the effects of different religious orientations (intrinsic, extrinsic, and quest), while controlling for the effects of fundamentalism and distinguishing between prejudice toward homosexuality and toward homosexuals. As predicted, intrinsic orientation was associated with prejudice toward homosexuality, but not toward homosexuals, whereas extrinsic orientation was constantly related to sexual prejudice, and quest orientation to prejudice reduction. When fundamentalism was added among predictors, the unfavourable effects of intrinsic religiosity disappeared, so as, in part, those of extrinsic orientation. At the same time, the association between quest and tolerance remained unchanged. Finally, in moderation
analyses, we found that quest orientation, as a mature form of religiosity, favoured the beneficial role of intrinsic orientation. On the contrary, and consistent with the original predictions by Allport and Ross, the combination of high levels of intrinsic and extrinsic orientations had the most detrimental effects on sexual prejudice
Direct, extended, and mass-mediated contact with immigrants in Italy: Their associations with emotions, prejudice, and humanity perceptions
No full textTwo correlational studies investigated the associations between different forms of intergroup contact, on the one hand, and Italians' prejudice and humanity attributions toward immigrants in Italy, on the other. Study 1 examined the effects of direct contact, extended contact, and parasocial contact through mass-media, assessing separately contact through TV news and newspapers and contact through entertainment programs. Study 2 analyzed the distinct effects of positive and negative episodes of the contact forms considered in Study 1. Across the studies, we tested the mediational role of intergroup anxiety, empathy, and trust. Overall, results showed the importance of taking into account different forms of contact and considering the emotional processes during contact experiences to understand intergroup attitudes
Imagined intergroup contact promotes cooperation through outgroup trust
No full textThe present research aims to investigate whether salience of memberships during imagined contact is necessary for producing generalized positive attitudes toward the outgroup and promoting intergroup cooperation. After a warm-up task that involved reciprocal self-disclosure during the imagined interaction with an outgroup member, we manipulated interpersonal versus intergroup features of imagined contact. Results indicated that participants who imagined a conversation with a Muslim focusing on intergroup differences subsequently reported more positive attitudes and cooperative intentions toward Muslim immigrants compared to either participants who imagined the interaction at the interpersonal level or participants in a control condition. Moreover, these effects were found to be mediated by outgroup trust. These findings attest to the strength of interventions based on imagined intergroup contact and suggest a possible implementation of the technique
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