Does a multicultural perspective shape unbiased minds? The moderating role of outgroup threat Author Ana Urbiola, Guillermo Willis, Josefa Ruiz-Romero, Miguel Moya Publication Year 2018 Type Journal Article Abstract The multicultural perspective is an ideological orientation that values the recognition and inclusion of diverse ethnic and cultural groups as sources of identity and culture that are favorable to society, because they promote positive intergroup relations and social equality. However, there are conditions that moderate the constructive effects such a perspective potentially yields. In this research, we used experimental procedures to examine the effects of a multicultural perspective on levels of implicit and explicit prejudice aimed at Gitanos (Spanish Roma). In Study 1, we manipulated the content of a newspaper article to generate three conditions, which were (a) the multicultural perspective, (b) the use of counter‚stereotypical exemplars, and (c) the control. In Study 2, we not only evaluated the effect of the manipulation of the multicultural perspective relative to the control, we also assessed the extent to which symbolic and realistic outgroup threats moderate the effect of a multicultural perspective on implicit prejudice. Results showed lower levels of implicit prejudice in the multicultural condition than in the control condition. The multicultural perspective effectively reduced implicit prejudice when the perceived threat was low, but yielded no such observable effect when the perceived threat was high. Keywords outgroup, multiculturalism, social psychology Journal Journal of Applied Social Psychology Volume 48 Pages 608–617 Type of Article Journal Article DOI 10.1111/jasp.12551 Full text The following is an excerpt of the intervention methodology. For more information, please see the full text of the article on the publisher's website or through your institution's library. Study 1 Participants The sample comprised 69 non‐Gitano undergraduate students enrolled at an Andalusian University, 81.2% of whom were females, and 18.8% males. Mean age was 21.22 (SD = 5.18). [...] Procedure and measures Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: multicultural perspective (n = 24), counter‐stereotypical exemplars (n = 22), or control (n = 23). Manipulation was implemented by means of a newspaper article, which employed an identical format and headline across all conditions, but text content adapted for each condition. [...] Upon completing the IAT and the questionnaire, participants were debriefed in the laboratory, at length and in great detail. [...] Manipulation checks Two items, scored using a 7‐point Likert‐type scale, were included, to evaluate the extent to which the newspaper article they read reflected the belief that Gitano cultural values enrich Spanish society, as well as the extent to which it reflected the belief that many Gitanos break away from the stereotypes of the group. Implicit Association Test This study employed the IAT comprised of seven blocks, and calculated scores using the D‐algorithm, adapted to specifically evaluate prejudice toward Gitanos. The task involved the classification of items shown at the center of the computer screen as corresponding to one of a selection of surname categories or social groups, or to one of the evaluative categories [...] Feeling Thermometer This measure was used to generate an overall evaluation, for each participant, of the group Gitanos, on a global dimension of emotions and feelings. [...] Modern Racism Scale The scale consists of 10 items [...] using a 7‐point Likert‐ type scale to indicate agreement [...] Blatant Prejudice subscale The scale comprises 10 items [...] with a 5‐point Likert‐type scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). [...] The Spanish version of the Concern with Acting Prejudiced subscale of the Motivation to Control Prejudiced Reactions was also included, at the end of the questionnaire. [...] Study 2 Participants This study involved 81 non‐Gitano undergraduate students enrolled at an Andalusian University. [...] The final sample consisted of 62 women and 12 men, averaging 22.16 years of age (SD = 2.67). [...] Procedure and measures When participants arrived at the lab, they were randomly assigned to one of the conditions: the multicultural perspective (n = 38) or the control condition (n = 36). The manipulation was, again, implemented by means of a newspaper article. In the experimental condition, the information was based on a true newspaper article describing the effects of cultural diversity. In the control condition, participants read an article on an unrelated topic—how the use of new technologies in the universities enrich education [...] We included a measure to determine participants’ definition and evaluation of characteristics of Gitanos, along with the Out‐group Threat Perception Scale; the rest of the measures were identical to those in the previous study and participants responded in the same order: IAT, Thermometer, Modern Racism Scale (α = .76) and support for social policies (α =.63). Type of Prejudice/Bias Race/Ethnicity Country Spain Method Lab Setting College/University Google ScholarDOIBibTeX