Date of Award
Summer 7-20-2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. David Bradley
Second Advisor
Dr. Julie Allison
Third Advisor
Dr. Jason Lloyd
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Don Viney
Keywords
prejudice, Muslim, imagined contact, intergroup contact, facial feedback
Abstract
Muslims around the world are facing more discrimination and prejudice than ever given modern world politics. It has been found that American citizens with negative stereotypes about Muslims are more likely to support prolonged wars in the Middle East, decreased spending on foreign aid to the Middle East, and more likely to display aggression toward other American Muslims (Sides & Gross, 2013). Some methods of prejudice reduction have been explored and include facial feedback and imagined intergroup contact. This research combines both of these methods to evaluate the effectiveness of facial feedback and imagined intergroup contact using four randomized groups: no engagement in facial feedback or imagined contact, engagement in facial feedback but no imagined contact, engagement in imagined contact but no facial feedback, and engagement in facial feedback and imagined contact. Three dependent variables were used to measure the effect of treatment on prejudice towards Muslims: a graphical thermometer (Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods, 2008), the Bogardus Social Distance Scale (Bogardus, 1926), and a fake postcard study (Schoenrade, Liu, Eldridge, Ramsey, & Duric, 2016). When the data was analyzed using a 2 (facial feedback: absent or present) x 2 (imagined contact: absent or present) MANOVA, no results were statistically significant. Data collection was suspended early due to SARS-Cov-2, thus limiting the number of participants and potentially contributing to the insignificant findings.
Recommended Citation
Eldridge, Tiffany, "MEASURING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF NOVEL INTERVENTIONS OF PREJUDICE REDUCTION" (2020). Electronic Theses & Dissertations. 346.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/etd/346
