Ignoring History, Denying Racism: Mounting Evidence for the Marley Hypothesis and Epistemologies of Ignorance

In demonstration of the Marley hypothesis, Nelson, Adams, and Salter showed that differences in critical historical knowledge (i.e., knowledge of past racism) and motivation to protect group esteem predicted present-day racism perceptions among Whites and Blacks attending different, racially homogenous universities. The present Study 1 conceptually replicates these findings among Whites and Blacks attending the same racially diverse university. Consistent with previous findings, Whites (vs. Blacks) displayed less critical historical knowledge, explaining their greater denial of systemic racism. Moreover, stronger racial identity among Whites predicted greater systemic racism denial. A brief Study 2 intervention boosts Whites’ racism perceptions. People who learned the critical history of U.S. housing policy (vs. a control group) acknowledged more systemic racism. The present work interrupts seemingly normal and neutral dominant perspectives, provides mounting evidence for an epistemologies of ignorance framework, and suggests that learning critical history can help propel anti-racist understandings of the present

The Role of Reappraisal on Emotional Outcomes Following Instagram Use

This mixed methods study examined the effectiveness of a novel video manipulation using reappraisal as an emotion regulation strategy to improve the emotional experiences of Instagram users. In the quantitative section, three hypotheses were proposed: (1) Mood will improve more from pretest to posttest for the reappraisal participants compared to control participants. (2) Self-esteem scores will increase more from pretest to posttest for the reappraisal participants compared to control participants. (3) Loneliness score will decrease more from pretest to posttest for the reappraisal participants compared to control participants. In the qualitative section, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants after their Instagram use to gain a deeper understanding of their emotional experiences. Two hundred forty-seven participants were recruited into this two-semester study (Fall 2020, Spring 2021). Participants in the treatment condition watched a video normalizing emotional experiences on Instagram, while control participants watched a video about the history of Instagram. None of the hypotheses were supported. For the variable of self-esteem, participants scored higher on self-esteem at posttest compared to pretest. The qualitative findings provided rich context explaining participants’ emotional experiences. Using transcendental phenomenology (Moustakas, 1994), seven themes were identified after synthesizing qualitative data from 50 participants. These themes were positive emotion, negative emotion, social comparison, self-esteem, reappraisal, awareness of highlight reel, and attention to likes, comments, and followers. Implications from the qualitative findings include identifying specific content that improved or worsened participants’ emotions and how future researchers can target new ways to improve participants’ experiences

The Impact of Personalized Emails on College Students' Academic Achievement

A growing amount of research has shown the benefits of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) on academic achievements and other related areas (Zins, Weissberg, Wang, & Walberg, 2004). SEL is the ability to understand emotions, solve problems, and create positive relationships (Elias et al., 1997). Unfortunately, most SEL research focuses on preschool through high school. The present research filled the gap using a SEL-based personalized email prevention program in college. The emails were designed using the five core teachable SEL competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, 2005). Three hypotheses were proposed: (1) SEL emails will lead to higher academic achievement among college students compared to students who receive non-SEL emails; (2) SEL emails will increase college students’ academic self-efficacy compared to students who receive non-SEL emails; (3) SEL emails will improve college students’ sense of belonging compared to students not receiving SEL emails. 46 participants were recruited into this 8-week study (Summer 2015). Participants received post-examination emails after their first and second exams. The first hypothesis was supported. The personalized emails improved exam scores among participants in the treatment condition (SEL-based) compared to the control, specifically in the final exam. No differences were found between participants in the treatment and control condition in regards to academic self-efficacy and sense of belonging so the second and third hypothesis were not supported. This type of evidence-based prevention research can improve the quality of student’s academic well-being. It can also possibly reduce the achievement gap and increase college students’ chances of completing their education through improvements in academic achievements

Ignoring history, denying racism: Mounting evidence for the Marley hypothesis and epistemologies of ignorance

In demonstration of the Marley hypothesis, Nelson, Adams, and Salter showed that differences in critical historical knowledge (i.e., knowledge of past racism) and motivation to protect group esteem predicted present-day racism perceptions among Whites and Blacks attending different, racially homogenous universities. The present Study 1 conceptually replicates these findings among Whites and Blacks attending the same racially diverse university. Consistent with previous findings, Whites (vs. Blacks) displayed less critical historical knowledge, explaining their greater denial of systemic racism. Moreover, stronger racial identity among Whites predicted greater systemic racism denial. A brief Study 2 intervention boosts Whites’ racism perceptions. People who learned the critical history of U.S. housing policy (vs. a control group) acknowledged more systemic racism. The present work interrupts seemingly normal and neutral dominant perspectives, provides mounting evidence for an epistemologies of ignorance framework, and suggests that learning critical history can help propel anti-racist understandings of the present