Does confronting prejudice reduce intergroup bias? A meta-analytic review.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Intergroup Relations
• Prejudice Reduction

Background:

• Intergroup bias remains a significant societal challenge.
• Confronting prejudice is a proposed strategy to mitigate bias.
• Understanding the effectiveness of confrontation is crucial for intervention development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To meta-analytically assess the impact of confronting prejudice on intergroup bias.
• To identify moderators influencing the effectiveness of prejudice confrontation.
• To evaluate the generalizability and limitations of existing research.

Main Methods:

• A three-level mixed-effects meta-analysis was conducted.
• Included 91 effect sizes from studies comparing confronted vs. non-confronted participants.
• Intergroup bias was measured in various forms (stereotypes, behavior, cognition).

Main Results:

• Confronting prejudice significantly reduced intergroup bias (g+ = 0.54).
• Effects varied by bias type: largest for stereotype endorsement, moderate for behavior, and none for cognitive prejudice.
• Limited evidence of publication bias was found.

Conclusions:

• Confronting prejudice is a viable strategy for reducing intergroup bias, especially stereotype use.
• Current research limitations include narrow sampling (U.S., young, White adults) and artificial settings.
• Future research should focus on diverse populations, real-world contexts, and long-term effects.