When Potential Allies and Targets Do (and Do Not) Confront Anti-Asian Prejudice: Reactions to Blatant and Subtle Prejudice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Anti-Asian xenophobia has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, after U.S. political leaders promoted anti-Asian rhetoric from its start. Confronting prejudice interrupts future perpetration of such prejudice, but confronting prejudice can only occur to the extent actions are first attributed to prejudice. Bystanders may attribute less prejudice to speech about the "Chinese Virus" than to more blatant stereotype expression, for example, and therefore be less vehement in their confrontations. Across two studies, we examined the impact of anti-Asian prejudice type (blatant, subtle, or no prejudice) and bystander race/ethnicity (White or Asian American/Pacific Islander [AAPI]), on prejudice attribution, willingness to confront, actual confrontation, and confrontation vehemence. In the context of a hiring manager justifying rejection of a Chinese applicant, we predicted that blatant prejudice would be detected and confronted most willingly, and subtle prejudice more willingly than no prejudice, and that prejudice detection would mediate the relationship between prejudice type and willingness to confront. Further, we expected AAPI bystanders to detect anti-Asian prejudice more readily than White bystanders, but to confront at lower rates, with actual confrontations being more vehement following blatant (relative to subtle or no) prejudice. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 27 and the PROCESS v4.1 macro, controlling for potential confounds such as political orientation and individual-level prejudice (expressed or perceived). Results of both studies (n = 142 [Study 1], n = 274 [Study 2]) supported hypotheses, except in Study 1 bystanders exposed to subtle prejudice were no more willing to confront than no-prejudice controls. Results of exploratory analyses indicated that attribution to prejudice was the primary obstacle to confrontation following subtle prejudice, whereas action taking was the primary obstacle following blatant prejudice. This research underscores the need for interventions to increase detection of all forms of anti-Asian prejudice and to provide would-be confronters with effective confrontation tools.

Factors Promoting Posttraumatic Growth in Sexual Minority Adults Following Adolescent Bullying Experiences

The minority stress model posits that stigmatized identities expose sexual minority individuals to chronic stressors that contribute to health disparities, but that individual-level resources may mitigate psychological distress. Sexual minority adolescents experience one such stressor, bullying victimization, at higher rates than heterosexual peers. Whereas negative consequences of sexual identity-based bullying are well documented, potential positive outcomes are not well understood. The present work examined hypothesized pathways to posttraumatic growth (PTG)-positive psychological changes stemming from trauma-in sexual minority adults following adolescent bullying experiences. We predicted that attributing bullying to one's sexual identity, as opposed to other factors (e.g., weight/appearance, personality), would exacerbate perceived bullying severity but, in turn, enhance PTG. We also predicted that outness about sexual identity would enhance social support and, in turn, facilitate PTG. The hypothesized conceptual model was tested in two samples of sexual minority adults who had experienced bullying during adolescence (Sample 1: Community Sample [N = 139]; Sample 2: National Online Sample [N = 298]), using structural equation modeling with Bayesian estimation. Mediation hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS v3.4 macro. Participants reported their adolescent experiences with bullying, attributions for bullying, outness, social support, and PTG as a result of adolescent bullying experiences, in addition to demographics. Supporting the hypothesized model, in both samples, attributions to sexual identity-based bullying directly and indirectly (via bullying severity) predicted greater PTG, and outness predicted greater PTG through proximal impact on social support. This research underscores the importance of supportive responses to individuals who disclose sexual minority identities and of (re)framing attributions about bullying to facilitate growth.

Gender Differences in Attitudes Toward Gay Men and Lesbians: The Role of Motivation to Respond Without Prejudice

Research has uncovered consistent gender differences in attitudes toward gay men, with women expressing less prejudice than men (Herek, 2003). Attitudes toward lesbians generally show a similar pattern, but to a weaker extent. The present work demonstrated that motivation to respond without prejudice importantly contributes to these divergent attitudes. Study 1 revealed that women evince higher internal motivation to respond without prejudice (IMS, Plant & Devine, 1998) than do men and that this difference partially mediates the relationship between gender and attitudes toward gay men. The second study replicated this finding and demonstrated that IMS mediates the relationship between gender and attitudes toward lesbians. Study 2 further revealed that gender-role variables contribute to the observed gender differences in motivation to respond without prejudice. These findings provide new insights into the nature of sexual prejudice and for the first time point to possible antecedents of variation in motivation to respond without prejudice.

The Influence of the Expression of Subtle and Blatant Sexual Prejudice on Personal Prejudice and Identification With the Expresser

Although the negative consequences of subtle and blatant prejudice for the targets of prejudice are clear in the psychological literature, the impact of exposure to subtle and blatant prejudice on non-targets remains unclear. The current work examines how exposure to blatant and subtle sexual prejudice affects non-targets' personal endorsement of prejudice and their identification with the prejudice expresser. Results suggest that relative to exposure to blatant or neutral expressions of prejudice, exposure to subtle prejudice increased prejudice levels. Individuals were also more likely to distance from the prejudice expresser when exposed to blatant compared to subtle prejudice. The implications are discussed.

Why pride displays elicit support from majority group members: The mediational role of perceived deservingness

Research has shown that minority groups benefit from eliciting support from majority group members. Pride displays are one method utilized by minority groups to gain this support. Research also has suggested that perceived pride has two dimensions—(a) authentic, or accomplishment-based pride and (b) hubristic, or arrogance-based pride—that differentially predict behavior toward minority groups. The current research examined the role of perceived deservingness in explaining relations between perceived pride and support for minority groups. Results of three studies demonstrated that perceived deservingness mediates the pathway from perceived authentic pride to support for minority groups. Implications are discussed.

The DETECT™ System: portable, reduced-length neuropsychological testing for mild traumatic brain injury via a novel immersive environment

Undiagnosed mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) often leads to poor patient management and significant morbidity. The lack of an efficient screening tool is especially apparent in the athletic setting, where repetitive injuries can lead to prolonged disability. We have developed the Display Enhanced Testing for Concussions and mTBI system (DETECT), in order to create a portable immersive environment that could eliminate visual and audio distractions. Neuropsychological tests sensitive to mTBI were modified for use with the system and allow rapid neurological assessment independent of the environment or trained personnel. We evaluated the immersive qualities of the DETECT system in 42 uninjured controls. The system was successful in blocking out external audiovisual stimuli. The neuropsychological test results obtained in a stimulus rich environment were equivalent to those obtained in a controlled quiet environment. The immersive environment, portability, and brevity of the DETECT system allow for real-time cognitive testing in situations previously deemed impractical or unavailable for mTBI patients.

Camera perspective bias in videotaped confessions: experimental evidence of its perceptual basis

The camera perspective from which a criminal confession is videotaped influences later assessments of its voluntariness and the suspect's guilt. Previous research has suggested that this camera perspective bias is rooted in perceptual rather than conceptual processes, but these data are strictly correlational. In 3 experiments, the authors directly manipulated perceptual processing to provide stronger evidence of its mediational role. Prior to viewing a videotape of a simulated confession, participants were shown a photograph of the confessor's apparent victim. Participants in a perceptual interference condition were instructed to visualize the image of the victim in their minds while viewing the videotape; participants in a conceptual interference condition were instructed instead to rehearse an 8-digit number. Because mental imagery and actual perception draw on the same available resources, the authors anticipated that the former, but not the latter, interference task would disrupt the camera perspective bias, if indeed it were perceptually mediated. Results supported this conclusion.