Empathy is the key to effective anti-racist messaging, new study finds

Two recent experiments explored the effectiveness of different types of messages in promoting antiracist attitudes. They found that emphasizing empathy for targets of racism was more effective than messages focused on awareness of personal racial bias, the need for racial justice, or social norms about the unacceptability of racism. Participants exposed to messages emphasizing empathy for targets of racism reported significantly more egalitarianism, more positive attitudes toward Black people, and more awareness of racism. The paper was published in Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Racism is the belief or practice that one race is inherently superior or inferior to another. This typically leads to prejudice, discrimination, and systemic inequality based on race. Racism can manifest at the individual level through biased attitudes and behaviors, as well as at the institutional level through laws, policies, or practices that disadvantage certain groups. Racism harms both its direct targets and society at large by fostering division, exclusion, and injustice.

Active efforts to oppose racism by promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion are called antiracism. Antiracism can be promoted through communication strategies that raise awareness about racism, challenge stereotypes, and encourage positive intergroup relations. Such messages can take the form of educational campaigns, media content, school programs, or organizational training. However, the effectiveness of such messages depends on how they are designed. Poorly designed antiracism messages can backfire by making people defensive and reinforcing divisions.

Study author Lisa Legault and her colleagues wanted to explore how effective different types of antiracism messages are in promoting antiracist outcomes. They hypothesized that messages focused on empathy and self-awareness would produce stronger antiracist outcomes than messages focusing on social norms. They conducted two studies.

For the first study, the researchers designed four complementary messages that were designed to promote nonprejudice and reduce racism. One of the messages focused on personal awareness of one’s own racial bias, another emphasized empathy for targets of racism. The third message was a call for social action to identify and confront racial inequality in society, while the fourth focused on social norms by stating that most people disagree with racism.

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Participants of the first study were 686 individuals recruited via Prolific Academic and compensated $15/hour. As the study was designed to target non-Black participants’ attitudes, Black participants were removed from the sample. 51% of participants were women, 46% were men, and the remainder were nonbinary or did not report their gender.

Participants were randomly assigned to view one of the four message types. They would first read the message and then had to rephrase the message they read, as an extension of the message induction. After that, participants completed assessments of allophilia (i.e., affection for outgroups, Black people in this case), acknowledgement of the frequency of racism in society (e.g., “How often do you believe Black people are ignored or overlooked because of their race?”), and egalitarianism (the preference for equal intergroup relations).

The second study followed the methodology of the first, but study participants were a combination of college students (375 participants) and Prolific respondents (435 participants). The key outcome measure was also different. After viewing their assigned messages, study participants completed an assessment of momentary antiracist intent (adapted from a scale measuring antiracism awareness and behavior among White Americans), along with assessments of trait empathy (the Interpersonal Reactivity Index) and of the motivation to be nonprejudiced (the Motivation to be Nonprejudiced Scale). They also reported how much they liked the message they viewed and how much they trusted it.

Results of the first study showed that affection for Black people, egalitarianism, and acknowledgement of racism were all highest (on average) in the group that viewed the message focusing on empathy for targets of racism. Because the experimental groups were created randomly, it was expected that they would be equal at the start. Finding these differences after participants viewed the messages indicated to the researchers that the message emphasizing empathy for targets of racism was the most effective in promoting these attitudes.

Results of the second study confirmed these findings, with the group that viewed the message emphasizing empathy for targets of racism again showing the highest antiracism. Statistical analysis showed that this effect did not depend on one’s trait empathy or motivation to be nonprejudiced.

“The message of this work, therefore, is rather clear. Empathy toward those targeted by prejudice should be emphasized in communications regarding antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and it should form at least part of the foundation of education, training, and policy,” the study authors concluded.

The study sheds light on the effectiveness of different types of antiracist messages. However, it remains unknown how long the effects of these messages last. Additionally, the study focused on racism toward Black Americans. Results of studies involving other racial groups might differ.

The paper, “Comparing Brief Antiracism Messages: Empathy-Focused Communication Is More Effective Than Social Norms, Calls to Action, and Self-Awareness,” was authored by Lisa Legault, Riley Page, Morgan Reynolds, and Cameron Mallery-Winegard.