Shooting the Messenger to Spite the Message: Exploring Reactions to Claims of Racial Discrimination.
Schultz, Jennifer.
2017-04-18T14:03:31.745Z
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Abstract: Two experiments explored the potential for evaluative backlash toward minorities who make claims of racial discrimination. Guided by the literature on attitudes and persuasion, I examined three factors that are likely to be important in influencing individuals' reactions when evaluating individuals who present claims of discrimination: characteristics of the messenger, characteristics of... read morethe message, and characteristics of the recipient. In Experiment 1, participants evaluated a White or Black confederate who gave a speech expressing no claim, a weak claim, or a strong claim of racial discrimination. As predicted, results indicated evaluative backlash: participants gave more negative ratings to Black compared to White claimants only when the claim was strong. Experiment 2 further explored evaluative backlash by considering the role of message quality and the message recipient's meritocracy beliefs. As predicted, participants rated Black claimants more negatively than Whites when they used low quality arguments; but this backlash was eliminated when Black claimants used high quality arguments. Furthermore, recipients' meritocracy ideologies significantly moderated the interaction between the claimant's race and quality of the claim. Participants with relatively strong meritocracy beliefs were the source of evaluative backlash when hearing low quality arguments. Overall, these findings suggest that an integrated approach that considers characteristics of the messenger, the message, and the recipient can contribute to our understanding of how people react to claims of discrimination and the consequences of such reactions for the claimants.
Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2011.
Submitted to the Dept. of Psychology.
Advisor: Keith Maddox.
Committee: Samuel Sommers, and Nilanjana Dasgupta.
Keyword: Psychology.read less - ID:
- rj430g50s
- Component ID:
- tufts:21001
- To Cite:
- DCA Citation Guide EndNote
