Training Makes a Difference for Defeating Stereotypes
People demonstrate reduced stereotype activation when they’ve received training. The results from the training task provide further evidence for the impact of practice on participants’ proficiency in negating stereotypes. This is according to a recent study by Kawakami, Davidio, Moll and Hermsen. An article, “Just say no (to stereotyping): effects of training in the negation of stereotypic associations on stereotype activation” had as its primary aim to examine the effect of training in negating stereotype associations on stereotype activation. Across 3 studies, participants received practice in negating stereotypes related to skinhead and racial categories.
The subsequent automatic activation of stereotypes was measured using either a primed Stroop task (Studies I and 2) or a person categorization task (Study 3). The results demonstrate that when receiving no training or training in a non-target category stereotype, participants exhibited spontaneous stereotype activation. After receiving an extensive amount of training related to a specific category, however, participants demonstrated reduced stereotype activation. The results from the training task provide further evidence for the impact of practice on participants’ proficiency in negating stereotypes.
Although this study didn’t use the Ouch! program, certainly this is substantiates the U of Cincinnati study and years of anecdotal evidence that supports the use of our own program, Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts.
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