How does gender, race, and activism engagement influence perceptions of environmentalists?
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Abstract
Negative stereotypes associated with environmentalists may create obstacles to the environmentalist movement. The actions environmentalists engage in can also increase the backlash against them. However, past research has found that atypical environmentalists are perceived more favorably. Thus, it is important to understand who a “typical” environmentalist is and how being “atypical” may impact perceptions towards them. In a past study we found that the modal prototype of an environmentalist is a White woman. In this study, we therefore examined how participants react to a typical environmentalist (i.e., White and female) in comparison to an atypical environmentalist (i.e., Black and male). We also tested whether engaging in activism may impact participants’ perceptions towards environmentalists. To do so, we conducted a 2 X 2 X 2 between-subjects experimental design where we manipulated the gender (female, male), race (White, Black), and activism (yes, no) of an environmentalist’s profile. Preliminary analyses suggest more negative views of activists than nonactivists (e.g., on warmth/competence) and social distance, and occasional main effects of gender and race on some outcomes.
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This poster was presented at The Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) on 02/20/2025.
Date
2025-02-20
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University of Kansas
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Keywords
Stereotyping, Activism, Environmentalism