TY - JOUR
T1 - Can imagined contact favor the “humanization” of the homeless?
AU - Falvo, Rossella
AU - Capozza, Dora
AU - Di Bernardo, Gian Antonio
AU - Pagani, Ariela Francesca
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Research on imagined contact, a new prejudice-reduction strategy, has demonstrated its beneficial effects on several aspects of intergroup relations. Emerging evidence has shown that this form of contact can positively affect humanness perceptions. The present study examined imagined contact as a means to improve humanity attributions to the homeless ― a stigmatized group strongly dehumanized. Participants (university students) were asked to imagine either a positive interaction with a homeless person or a control scene. Humanity attributions were assessed by using uniquely human (e.g., rationality) and non-uniquely human (e.g., impulsiveness) traits. As expected, after the mentally-simulated encounter, the homeless were perceived as more clearly characterized by uniquely human features. Practical implications of findings are discussed.
AB - Research on imagined contact, a new prejudice-reduction strategy, has demonstrated its beneficial effects on several aspects of intergroup relations. Emerging evidence has shown that this form of contact can positively affect humanness perceptions. The present study examined imagined contact as a means to improve humanity attributions to the homeless ― a stigmatized group strongly dehumanized. Participants (university students) were asked to imagine either a positive interaction with a homeless person or a control scene. Humanity attributions were assessed by using uniquely human (e.g., rationality) and non-uniquely human (e.g., impulsiveness) traits. As expected, after the mentally-simulated encounter, the homeless were perceived as more clearly characterized by uniquely human features. Practical implications of findings are discussed.
KW - humanity attributions
KW - humanity bias reduction
KW - imagined contact
KW - promoting tolerance
KW - the homeless
KW - humanity attributions
KW - humanity bias reduction
KW - imagined contact
KW - promoting tolerance
KW - the homeless
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/67403
U2 - 10.4473/TPM22.1.2
DO - 10.4473/TPM22.1.2
M3 - Article
SN - 1972-6325
SP - 23
EP - 30
JO - TPM. TESTING, PSYCHOMETRICS, METHODOLOGY IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
JF - TPM. TESTING, PSYCHOMETRICS, METHODOLOGY IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
ER -