1,720,980 research outputs found
Less human and help-worthy: Sexualization affects children’s perceptions of and intentions toward bullied peers
No full textIn Western cultures, the sexualization of children has increased over the past decades. In two studies, we investigated the consequences of children’s sexualization for their peers’ willingness to provide help in a case of bullying. In both studies, children (total N = 396; ages 7 to 11 years) were randomly assigned to view either a sexualized or non-sexualized target and answered questions about the target’s traits and treatment. Our findings provide evidence that early sexualization exposes preadolescent children to the dehumanizing consequences associated with adult women’s sexualization. We found that sexualized targets were perceived as less than fully human in terms of both human nature and human uniqueness (Studies 1 and 2) and that, among girls, human nature ratings mediated the association between sexualization and reduced helping intentions toward both male (Study 2) and female targets (Studies 1 and 2)
Self-reported psychological symptoms and severe stress events, but not patients’ gender, affect illness representation and medical advice by lay-referral network advisors
No full textPeople who experience symptoms tend to discuss their ailments with other individuals who create their own illness representations, acting as intuitive physicians. We conducted two experimental studies to examine lay-referral network advisors' (i.e., acquaintances) representation of illness etiology and their recommendation to undergo health screenings for a man or woman with physical (vs. both physical and psychological) symptoms and a severe stressful (vs. no stressful) period in life. The presence of psychological and physical symptoms (Studies 1 and 2) and severe stressful life events (Study 2) affects lay-referral network advisors' disease representation. These factors cause participants to attribute symptoms etiology to psychological rather than organic factors and recommend more psychological screenings rather than physical ones. The simultaneous presence of psychological and physical symptoms and severe stressful events increases the likelihood of attributing the illness etiology to psychological factors, which increases participants' willingness to recommend psychological screenings. Study variables were unaffected by patient gender. The main findings, limitations, and future directions are discussed
From “Bad” and “Good” Motivations to Abort to “Bad” and “Good” Women: Abortion Stigma and Backlash Against Women Who Interrupt Their Pregnancy
No full textIntroductionAbortion is a health practice that people might choose for a variety of reasons. In public discourse, a subtle hierarchy of legitimacy frequently emerges in relation to abortion' motivations, thereby establishing an implicit distinction between abortions deemed acceptable or justifiable and those considered unacceptable or unjustifiable.MethodsWe conducted an experimental study to examine the impact of different motivations commonly perceived as "good and acceptable" (i.e., health risks or rape) and "bad and unacceptable" (i.e., lack of desire to have a child or incompatibility between women's lives and their careers) on the stigmatization of women who choose to abort (i.e., moral outrage and attribution of humanness) and the perceived severity of hostile behaviors against them.ResultsFindings show that participants experienced more moral outrage towards the woman when she chose to abort for "bad and unacceptable" reasons (vs. "good and acceptable"), attributed her less humanness, and perceived hostile behaviors toward her as less severe. In addition, we found that "bad and unacceptable" reasons influenced participants' perceptions of hostile behaviors through the mediation of moral outrage and the attribution of humanness to her.Conclusions and Policy ImplicationsHighlighting motivations for abortion reinforces not only the divide between "good" and "bad" abortions but also between "good" and "bad" women. The key conclusions, limitations, and directions for the future are explored in the context of combating abortion stigma and backlash, ultimately advocating for reproductive justice
“You are stealing our present”: Younger people's ageism towards older people predicts attitude towards age‐based COVID‐19 restriction measures
No full textThe COVID‐19 pandemic emerged to be a fertile ground for age‐based prejudice and discrimination. In particular, a growing literature investigated ageism towards older people at the individual and the interpersonal level, providing evidence of its prevalence, antecedents and negative consequences. However, less much is known on the phenomenon at the intergroup level. To fill this gap, the present correlational research investigated the effects of younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people on the attitude towards COVID‐19 restriction measures primarily targeted to older (vs. younger) population. In the autumn of 2020, five hundred and eighty‐two Italian participants (83.3% females; M (age) = 20.02, SD (age) = 2.83) completed an online questionnaire. Results revealed that the younger people's endorsement of ageism towards older people increased the attribution of culpability for the severity of COVID‐19 restriction measures to older (vs. younger) people, which, in turn positively affected the attitudes towards older (vs. younger) people isolation and support for selective lockdown on older population only. The main contributions of the study, limitations, future research directions, and practice implications are discussed
La Denuncia delle Condotte Illecite in Ambito Organizzativo: una rassegna sul fenomeno del whistleblowing
No full textIl presente lavoro analizza il fenomeno del whistleblowing fornendo dapprima una ricognizione delle principali ricerche condotte in ambito organizzativo e proponendo infine una lettura del fenomeno da una prospettiva psicosociale. Nella prima parte sono analizzate le questioni metodologiche relative alla complessità della ricerca sul fenomeno del
whistleblowing. Segue una trattazione degli studi che hanno indagato le variabili – individuali, organizzative e culturali – che facilitano o ostacolano la scelta di denunciare. Nell’ultima parte del lavoro, si discute la rilevanza strategica della prospettiva psicosociale nella comprensione del fenomeno del whistleblowing
Impact of gender essentialism on heterosexuals' negative attitudes toward same-sex parenting
No full textWe investigated whether and how endorsement of essentialist beliefs about gender affects heterosexuals' attitudes towards same-sex parenting. In Study 1, we showed that framing a (scientific) communication in terms of essentialist (vs. non-essentialist) views about gender fostered perception of same-sex parenting as unnatural, and this effect was mediated by a stronger support in favor of the traditional gender-role beliefs. In Study 2, the endorsement of a biological explanation of gender differences affected the perception of same-sex parenting as unnatural and this, in turn, impacted upon the perceived competence of same-sex parents and upon a more distal consequence, such as the perceived negative consequences on children raised by same-sex parents. We discuss results in terms of the role of communication in perpetrating prejudice against same-sex parenting
Legitimizing Intimate Partner Violence: Moral Evaluations, Attribution of Responsibility, and (Reduced) Helping Intentions
Full text linkThis article examines the influence of moral evaluations and attribution of responsibility on individuals’ willingness to provide help if witnessing an intimate partner violence (IPV) episode. A total of 121 undergraduates read a fictitious article from a newspaper, allegedly describing an IPV episode. According to the experimental condition, participants read that the victim had either admitted infidelity or denied it. After reading the newspaper article, participants evaluated the victim on several dimensions (i.e., morality, competence, and sociability), rated the extent to which they deemed her responsible for the violence (i.e., the internal attribution of what happened), and expressed their willingness to provide help and support to the victim herself. In the admission condition, the victim was evaluated as less moral and more responsible for the episode of IPV. These evaluations, in turn, lowered the willingness to provide help to the victim. This study confirmed the role of moral evaluations and internal attribution on bystanders’ reaction, and we present practical implications for intervention in a field, IPV, in constant need of updated validated evidence for efficient prevention strategies
The Role of Honor in Perceptions of Sextortion Victims: Evidence from Italy and the U.K
No full textThe present study examines the role of cultural factors in the perceptions of victims of sextortion (the abuse of power to obtain sexual benefits) by comparing participants from a culture of honor (Italy) and a culture of dignity (the U.K.) and by measuring individual-level honor endorsement. A sample of 452 participants were asked to read a fictitious scenario describing a woman target of sextortion. The research employed a 2 × 2 between-participants design: The victim was described either as caving into sextortion for familial reasons (i.e., for her sick child) versus for personal reasons and as exhibiting high versus low levels of sexual modesty. The results revealed that overall Italian participants felt stronger moral outrage towards the victim, perceived her as less moral, and attributed more blame to her than did British participants. Additionally, when the victim was described as caving into sextortion for personal reasons, both groups rated her as less moral compared to when she was described as doing so for familial reasons. Furthermore, participants found the victim marginally more blameworthy when she was described as adhering closely to feminine honor values. An exploratory moderation analysis indicated that stronger endorsement of feminine and family honor values was associated with increased blame towards the victim; these associations were more pronounced in the Italian than in the British sample. These findings underscore the potential role of cultural factors in the perception of sextortion victims and highlight the importance of developing culturally tailored awareness strategies to address victim blaming, especially in honor-oriented societies
Bystanders’ Reactions to a Woman Victim of Sextortion: Moral Outrage, Victim Blaming and Reputational Damage
No full textFighting for abortion rights: strategies aimed at managing stigma in a group of Italian pro-choice activists
Full text linkDespite societal changes in Western countries, abortion continues to be morally stigmatized. While research on abortion stigma targeted both at people who seek or voluntarily terminate their pregnancy and abortion providers has been conducted, stigma directed at those who advocate abortion rights has remained under-researched. The purpose of this study was to deepen understandings of abortion stigma in relation to Italian cisgender female pro-choice activists. Accordingly, a qualitative study was conducted to examine how participants experienced, perceived, and internalized stigma, as well as the strategies they employed to manage it. The sample included 34 Italian cisgender female pro-choice activists who were actively engaged in movements at the time of the study, including organizations or unions that publicly defend the right to abort. The findings revealed that participants perceive they are targets of negative stereotyping and behaviors. Nevertheless, they do not internalize the stigma and use different strategies to manage it, such as speaking openly about their activism. © The Author(s) 2022
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