Put yourself in my wheelchair: Perspective‐taking can reduce prejudice toward people with disabilities and other stigmatized groups

Abstract

This study aimed to compare perspective-taking with a hypothetical target and perspective-taking occurring during a real interaction with an outgroup member in reducing prejudice toward people with disabilities and other groups (e.g., immigrants, homosexual people), via increased empathy. We adopted an experimental design with two treatment groups (Hypothetical target vs. Real target) and one control group (no intervention), one pretest and two posttest measures. Participants, who were 437 students aged 11-17 years (M = 14.28; SD = 1.17), were randomly assigned to the various conditions on a classroom basis. Perspective-taking was facilitated asking participants to travel in a wheelchair on a path that simulated a real pavement in the presence (or not) of an individual with a motor disability. Findings showed that perspective-taking in the presence of a real target was more effective in reducing prejudice toward people with disabilities than perspective-taking task without encountering an outgroup member. Perspective-taking with a hypothetical target was not sufficient to increase participants' empathy toward people with disabilities, which instead was enhanced when the task was performed at the presence of a real member of that group. Positive effects produced by perspective-taking (with both a hypothetical and a real target) were transferred to immigrants and homosexuals. These findings suggest that, when possible, perspective-taking in the presence of the target, which can improve empathy by favoring a two-way exchange process, is highly recommended to improve attitudes toward different stigmatized groups, not necessarily targeted by the intervention.

Attitudes towards women in the military and their relation to both quantity and quality contact with female leaders

“…Other intermediary variables and relations were not incorporated because of the limited sample sizes. For instance, some researchers found perspective-taking led to improved empathy which led to more favorable attitudes toward outgroup members (e.g., Hodson et al, 2009 ; Matera et al, 2021 ). While others found perspective-taking to mediate the relation between empathic concern and attitudes toward outgroup members (e.g., Miklikowska, 2018 ).…”

“…Perspective-taking is very important for social relations, leads to altruistic behaviors, decreased aggression toward others, decreased egocentrism, and increased situational attributions for others ( Davis et al, 1996 ). Perspective-taking is considered a cognitive ability, whereby an individual takes another person’s view of things to understand what they are going through ( Matera et al, 2021 ; Bobba and Crocetti, 2022 ). Perspective-takers will use information regarding the outgroup to adjust their own behavior accordingly ( Galinsky et al, 2008 ) and to focus on the development and maintenance of social relations with others ( Wang et al, 2014 ).…”

“…Empathic concern refers to orienting toward others, along with experiencing emotions that match or reflect feelings of others ( Bobba and Crocetti, 2022 ). Empathy permits an individual to connect emotionally with others ( Matera et al, 2021 ). How much empathy we feel and which groups we feel empathy toward are influenced by many factors.…”

Recommendations for the Development of a Robotic Drinking and Eating Aid - An Ethnographic Study

“…Taking Design Seriously Stigmatization of people with disabilities is an ongoing problem highlighted in a number of studies and literature e. g. [31]. All participants have reported that they worry about unwanted attention and further stigmatisation by using too-conspicuous aids.…”