Less biased yet more defensive: The impact of control processes

Vitriol, Joseph A.; O’Shea, Brian A.; Calanchini, Jimmy

Abstract

Educational and training programs designed to reduce racial bias often focus on increasing people’s awareness of psychological sources of their biases. However, when people learn about their biases, they often respond defensively, which can undermine the effectiveness of antibias interventions and the success of prejudice regulation. Using process (Quad) modeling, we provide one of the first investigations of the relationships between (a) controlled and automatic cognitive processes that underpin performance on the Implicit Association Test and (b) defensive reactions to unflattering implicit racial bias feedback. In two correlational samples (one preregistered; N = 8,000) and one experiment in which the provision of bias feedback was manipulated (N = 547), we find racially biased associations and some control over these associations among White people. Nonetheless, more defensiveness to bias feedback consistently predicted weaker ability to control biased associations. We also find correlational evidence that lower levels of biased associations predict more defensiveness, but did not replicate this observation in the experimental study. These results are critical for theories of implicit attitudes, models of prejudice regulation, and strategies for antibias interventions

Citation

Vitriol, J. A., O’Shea, B. A., & Calanchini, J. (2023). Less biased yet more defensive: The impact of control processes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 30(1), 108-119. https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000468

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Mar 9, 2023
• Publication Date: Mar 9, 2023
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: May 12, 2023
• Journal: Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied
• Print ISSN: 1076-898X
• Electronic ISSN: 1939-2192
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 108-119
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/xap0000468
• Keywords: implicit bias; diversity; prejudice and stereotyping; organizational behavioral; management science
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/20561287
• Publisher URL: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxap0000468
• Additional Information: This paper is not the copy of record and may not exactly replicate the authoritative document published in the APA journal. The final article is available, upon publication, at: https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fxap0000468