Can social distance influence the efficacy of vicarious contact to reduce dehumanization of individuals who are homeless?
Faculty-Student Collaboration
1
Faculty Sponsor(s)
Brittany Tausen, Ph.D.
Presentation Type
Event
Project Type
Completed quantitative research study
Primary Department
Psychology
Description
Hearing about another person's interaction with a marginalized group member (vicarious contact) can decrease dehumanizing perceptions. We explored how social distance impacts the efficacy of vicarious contact to help humanize homeless individuals. Participants (N = ) were randomly assigned to read a story written by a Seattle Pacific University (near) or an Eastern Michigan University (far) student about a positive interaction they had with an individual who is homeless before reporting on their perceptions of individuals who are homeless. Results indicated that participants in the near condition dehumanized homeless individuals less after vicarious contact than those in the far condition.
Copyright Status
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Additional Rights Information
Copyright held by author(s).
Can social distance influence the efficacy of vicarious contact to reduce dehumanization of individuals who are homeless?
Hearing about another person's interaction with a marginalized group member (vicarious contact) can decrease dehumanizing perceptions. We explored how social distance impacts the efficacy of vicarious contact to help humanize homeless individuals. Participants (N = ) were randomly assigned to read a story written by a Seattle Pacific University (near) or an Eastern Michigan University (far) student about a positive interaction they had with an individual who is homeless before reporting on their perceptions of individuals who are homeless. Results indicated that participants in the near condition dehumanized homeless individuals less after vicarious contact than those in the far condition.
Rights Statement
