The Effects of a Strengths-Focused Approach on Paternalistic Prejudice in Volunteers
Faculty Sponsor
Alicia Epps, Whitworth University
Research Project Abstract
Well-meaning but harmful paternalistic prejudices arise from judging an outgroup as being low in competence and high in warmth. Researchers hypothesized that individuals who had completed volunteer work and focused on the strengths of their aid recipients would judge that population as more competent, while those who focused on weaknesses would do the opposite. Researchers also studied the effects of strengths focus on judgments of warmth. Undergraduate volunteers (n=170, 127 females, 39 males, 4 other) were assigned to focus on strengths, weaknesses, or neither, and then rated their populations on competence and warmth. Results showed no significant differences between groups in overall judgments of competence or warmth. Findings suggest that short-term priming may be insufficient to alter stereotypes.
Session Number
RS12
Location
Robinson 210
Abstract Number
RS12-d
The Effects of a Strengths-Focused Approach on Paternalistic Prejudice in Volunteers
Robinson 210
Well-meaning but harmful paternalistic prejudices arise from judging an outgroup as being low in competence and high in warmth. Researchers hypothesized that individuals who had completed volunteer work and focused on the strengths of their aid recipients would judge that population as more competent, while those who focused on weaknesses would do the opposite. Researchers also studied the effects of strengths focus on judgments of warmth. Undergraduate volunteers (n=170, 127 females, 39 males, 4 other) were assigned to focus on strengths, weaknesses, or neither, and then rated their populations on competence and warmth. Results showed no significant differences between groups in overall judgments of competence or warmth. Findings suggest that short-term priming may be insufficient to alter stereotypes.
