The Microaggressions Triangle Model: A Humanistic Approach to Navigating Microaggressions in Health Professions Schools

Abstract

Supplemental digital content for Ackerman-Barger K, Jacobs NN. The microaggressions triangle model: A humanistic approach to navigating microaggressions in health professions schools. Acad Med. 2020;95(12 Suppl).

Addressing Microaggressions in Academic Health: A Workshop for Inclusive Excellence

“…However, users from diverse professional backgrounds will find material that is useful in understanding microaggressions, learning how to respond to microaggressions, and promoting inclusion in their settings. Learning activities included a PowerPoint presentation on microaggressions and the Microaggressions Triangle Model, 4 case scenarios, and small-group discussions. The case scenarios included in the activities were based on interactions that the authors shared from their professional experience and on research from several studies conducted by the primary author.…”

“…These reviews added depth to the discussion guide and helped the authors see past their own individual lenses. We then developed a facilitator's guide to highlight the nature of the microaggressions in each case, how the microaggressions could be rooted in a history of bias and systemic racism, the roles of all participants in the case interaction, and how each participant could respond using the Microaggressions Triangle Model, 4 with opportunities for workshop participants to behaviorally practice applying the model to the cases. In order to assess the impact of the workshop, we developed pre- and posttest assessments.…”

“…The Microaggressions Triangle Model was developed by Ackerman-Barger and Jacobs as a framework for understanding microaggressions from a humanistic standpoint. 4 The model provided a framework with acronyms to help individuals respond to microaggressions whether they were the recipient, the source, or the bystander ( Figure 1 ). Both facilitators and learners were asked to read an article on this model 4 prior to holding the workshop.…”

“…This workshop was designed to provide case-based and hands-on strategies to handle microaggressions using the Microaggressions Triangle Model framework. 4 This framework provides a humanistic approach to repairing and reestablishing relationships, as well as restoring reputations once microaggressions occur.…”

“…The electronic mailing list for the AAMC Group on Diversity and Inclusion has recently seen many inquiries by members seeking tools to teach this content at their institutions. Given the primary author's expertise in microaggressions in health professions students 1 and the authors' development of the Microaggressions Triangle Model, 4 a humanistic model to respond to microaggressions, we sought to fill the gap in the literature with this workshop. It was first created to be used at monthly lunch-and-learn diversity dialogues as a method for helping medical students to recognize and understand the nature of microaggressions and how to respond to them.…”