Priming media stereotypes reduces support for social welfare policies: the mediating role of empathy.
Two experiments involving White participants tested the influence of media-based priming of Black stereotypes on support for government policy that assisted Black versus White persons-in-need. Experiment 1 showed that priming the "Black criminal" stereotype through exposure to photographs of Blacks looting after Hurricane Katrina reduced policy support for Black evacuees-in-need but did not influence support responses toward White evacuees-in-need. Experiment 2 showed that priming the "promiscuous Black female" stereotype through exposure to sexual rap music reduced policy support for a Black pregnant woman-in-need but did not influence support responses toward a White pregnant woman-in-need. Further tests of mediated moderation demonstrated that in both experiments, the interactive influence of priming Black stereotypes and race of persons-in-need on policy support was mediated by empathic responding.
Johnson
James D
JD
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC 28403, USA. johnsonj@uncw.edu
Olivo
Nelgy
N
Gibson
Nathan
N
Reed
William
W
Ashburn-Nardo
Leslie
L
D001741:Black or African American; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D009657:North Carolina; D011050:Policy Making; D011639:Public Opinion; D011640:Public Policy; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000208:ethnology*; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D044465:White People