Is the racial composition of your surroundings associated with your levels of social dominance orientation?

We investigate the extent to which minority group members are surrounded by outgroup members in their immediate environment as a predictor of social dominance orientation. Using a large representative sample of New Zealanders, we found that minority group members in outgroup dense environments reported lower levels of social dominance orientation (Study 1). In studies 2 and 3, Asian Australian and Black American participants who were surrounded by outgroup members reported lower social dominance orientation. For majority group (White) participants there was no association between social dominance orientation and outgroup density. Study 4 explained the overall pattern: Black Americans surrounded by outgroup members perceived their group to be of lower status in their immediate environment, and through this, reported lower social dominance orientation. This article adds to growing literature on contextual factors that predict social dominance orientation, especially among minority group members

Cyber-dehumanization: violent video game play diminishes our humanity

Across two studies we show that engaging in violent video game play diminishes perceptions of our own human qualities. In addition, when other players are the targets of this violence it reduces our perceptions of their humanity also. In Study 1, we demonstrate that playing Mortal Kombat against another player reduces the perceived humanity of the self as well as the humanity of one's opponent (compared to playing a nonviolent game). In Study 2 we replicate this effect on perceived humanity of the self when playing a violent game with a co-player. However, we find no dehumanization of co-players who are not the targets of violence. We demonstrate these effects cannot be reduced to mood, self-esteem, gender, or other characteristics of the game such as excitement and enjoyment. The findings provide a broader perspective from which to view previous work on the adverse effects of violent video games. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Barriers to women engaging in collective action to overcome sexism

Over centuries women have fought hard to obtain increasing gender equality, but despite these successes absolute equality remains an elusive goal. Theoretically, women's numerical strength makes them well-placed to take effective collective action, and millions of women engage in feminist collective action every day. In this article, however, we argue that women also face barriers to engaging in feminist collective action; barriers that are associated with the social construction and experience of what it means to be a woman. Our review synthesizes sexism research under a contemporary collective action framework to clarify our current understanding of the literature and to offer novel theoretical explanations for why women might be discouraged from engaging in feminist collective action. Using the antecedents of collective action identified by van Zomeren, Postmes, and Spears' (2008) metaanalysis, we critically review the sexism literature to argue that women face challenges when it comes to (a) identifying with other women and feminists, (b) perceiving sexism and expressing group-based anger, and (c) recognizing the efficacy of collective action. We then outline a research agenda with a view to investigating ways of overcoming these barriers

Changing versus protecting the status quo: why men and women engage in different types of action on behalf of women

We investigate women’s and men’s willingness to engage in action on behalf of women, and we identify two distinct categories of behavior: action that aims to challenge gender inequality (feminist action) and action that aims to protect women from violence (protective action). Three online studies were conducted. For each study, a U.S. community sample was recruited. In Study 1 (n = 602), women reported greater intentions to engage in feminist action than men did. Men, however, were just as willing as women to participate in protective action. In Study 2 (n = 726), we replicated these gender differences and found that protective action was positively predicted by benevolent sexism among men. In Study 3 (N = 582), we investigated why women reported greater intentions to engage in feminist action compared to men. We found that women were more aware of gender inequality, which was associated with identification as a feminist, and through this, intentions to engage in feminist action. Awareness of gender inequality also predicted intentions to engage in protective action among women. Men, however, were less aware of gender inequality, which was associated with the belief that feminist action leads to women having more rights than men do and subsequently greater willingness to participate in protective action. Our results can assist social policymakers and activists to develop appropriate campaigns for gender equality if their goal is to challenge, rather than protect women from, the status quo

Don't mind meat? the denial of mind to animals used for human consumption

Many people like eating meat, but most are reluctant to harm things that have minds. The current three studies show that this dissonance motivates people to deny minds to animals. Study 1 demonstrates that animals considered appropriate for human consumption are ascribed diminished mental capacities. Study 2 shows that meat eaters are motivated to deny minds to food animals when they are reminded of the link between meat and animal suffering. Finally, Study 3 provides direct support for our dissonance hypothesis, showing that expectations regarding the immediate consumption of meat increase mind denial. Moreover, this mind denial in turn reduces negative affect associated with dissonance. The findings highlight the role of dissonance reduction in facilitating the practice of meat eating and protecting cultural commitments

The social psychological predictors of men's backlash responses to the #MeToo movement

Ayanian A, Ulug oezden M, Radke HRM, Zick A. The social psychological predictors of men's backlash responses to the #MeToo movement. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations . 2024.Although the #MeToo movement embarked on addressing sexual harassment, it also addressed gender inequality in various domains and demanded a change in the status quo to achieve greater gender equality. Many men around the globe joined the #MeToo movement and supported it. However, the movement also experienced significant backlash. Across a preliminary study and two studies (N = 667), we examined the gender-based social psychological motivations underlying men's willingness to take peaceful and violent collective action (a) against the #MeToo movement and (b) promoting men's movement. In particular, we examined the gender-based attitudinal (i.e., collective responsibility, zero-sum beliefs), ideological (i.e., male entitlement), and emotional (i.e., collective humiliation) antecedents of willingness to engage in different forms of collective action. We also tested whether humiliation is the most proximal predictor of action. Our results highlighted the importance of male entitlement, zero-sum beliefs, and collective responsibility in motivating men to engage in peaceful and violent action, and indirectly affecting both forms of collective action through collective humiliation. We discuss the implications of these findings and suggest future directions for discrimination prevention and gender equality

Divide and conquer? Identity, threat, and moral justification of violence at the G20

Objective: During the 2014 Brisbane G20 meeting, new police powers enabled segregation of protesters into specific protest alliances and groups. This study used this unique context to quantitatively test the Elaborated Social Identity Model of crowd behaviour (ESIM) with protesters in vivo. We did this by examining how protesters’ social identification (own protest group and protesters more broadly) predicted perceived police threat and moral justification of violence. Method: Protesters completed survey measures of social identification, threat appraisals of police, and moral justification of violence. Results: Mediation analyses revealed identification with superordinate group (protesters generally), but not own protest group, predicted justification of violence via threat appraisals. Conclusions: This study presents survey data from protesters at G20. The findings support ESIM and highlight that protesters may appraise police as threatening and consider violence morally justified, even in the context of a generally well regarded and effective community-based policing strategy

Negotiating the hierarchy: Social dominance orientation among women is associated with the endorsement of benevolent sexism

Objective We examine how women high in social dominance orientation reconcile supporting a social system that seemingly disadvantages them. We propose that women high in social dominance orientation are more likely to adopt a benevolently sexist worldview. Method This paper contains data from two survey studies. Study 1 used data from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Survey (N = 10,485) which is a study of social attitudes, personality, and health outcomes among New Zealanders. Measures of Social Dominance Orientation, as well as Hostile and Benevolent Sexism were included in Study 1. Study 2 consisted of data from a smaller sample of American females (N = 269). In addition to the variables described above, we also measured the extent to which participants perceived the gender hierarchy to be legitimate and their perceived personal need for protection from men. Control variables included hostile sexism and demographic variables (participants’ age, race, and socioeconomic status). Results Results revealed that social dominance orientation was a stronger predictor of benevolent sexism among women compared to men. Serial mediation analysis was then conducted in Study 2. Study 2 confirmed the hypothesised mechanism: Higher social dominance orientation was associated with perceptions that women's low status is legitimate which, in turn, was associated with higher perceived personal need for protection from men. This was then associated with the endorsement of a benevolently sexist worldview. Conclusion Our findings suggest that social dominance orientation might help to explain why some women endorse benevolent sexism