Adolescents Challenging Discrimination: The Benefits of a Perspective-Taking and Action-Planning Intervention on Self-Efficacy

• In Event: Racism and Other Identities on Youth Wellbeing and Learning: Use of Intersectionality

Abstract

Discriminatory behavior is widespread and often goes unchallenged, particularly when issues of race and diversity are involved. Past research has suggested that this might be because bystanders do not always recognize its potential for harm, so that increased perspective-taking skills might increase bystander intervention (Jenkins & Nickerson, 2019). Additionally, inaction might be due to a lack of self-efficacy when it comes to talking about race and diversity (Apfelbaum, Ambady, Sommers & Norton, 2008) or to confronting discriminatory behaviors (Thornberg & Jungert, 2013). Thus, a role-playing intervention has recently been shown to increase bystander self-efficacy in response to bullying (Abbott, Cameron and Thompson, 2019), yet there is little such evidence with regard to discriminatory behaviors.

Here, we report the results of a field experiment with adolescents in England (N = 639) that tested a 30-minute group-based intervention designed to increase perceived importance and self-efficacy around challenging discriminatory language. The intervention involved a sharing of personal experiences and then focused on perspective-taking and action planning. It was tested in the context of a residential summer program, with outcomes measured after three weeks and against two active controls. Results from multi-level modeling showed that the intervention led to greater self-efficacy in challenging discriminatory behaviors, compared to an unrelated control. They also suggested that the intervention led to greater self-efficacy compared to a more specific control condition that only focused on self-disclosure and active listening, thereby suggesting that action-planning played a central role in the mechanism that brought about the change.

Subgroup analyses showed that the results were particularly pronounced among White British, and much attenuated for minority-ethnic participants. After the cool-down period of three weeks, the intervention was associated with a substantial effect on self-efficacy across all participants (Cohen’s d = .27, p = .021) and a large effect among White British participants (Cohen’s d = .47, p = .038). In contrast to the increase in self-efficacy, the (high) level of perceived importance was not affected by the intervention.

Our findings show that a 30-minute discussion group focussing on discrimination-based perspective-taking and action-planning could prompt higher self-efficacy for dealing with offensive discriminatory language, 3 weeks later, particularly among White adolescents. Self-efficacy is a known precursor to challenging general aggression; this intervention showed that White adolescents can benefit from peer discussions around experiences of, and dealing with, discriminatory acts specifically. Importantly, this study demonstrated how minority-ethnic participants responses to discriminatory language are likely influenced by other mechanisms. Future research should continue to explore how discussion-based interventions can assist adolescents from all backgrounds in challenging discriminatory language.

Authors

• Lukas Wallrich, Goldsmiths, University of London
  Presenting Author

• Sally Barbara Palmer, University Of Exeter
  Non-Presenting Author

• Adam Rutland, University Of Exeter
  Non-Presenting Author