Positive outgroup modeling alone fails because people dismiss attitude-contradicting evidence

Evidence

Research that tests Allport’s hypotheses about prejudice prevention and reduction, rather than acquisition, is becoming more important. He assumed that if children learn to become prejudiced through observation and reinforcement, they can learn to become unprejudiced through similar mechanisms, i.e. by building up “contrary associations” (Allport, 1954/1979, p. 304). Studies have evaluated the impact of children’s exposure to positive outgroup models and respectful attitudes, but the outcomes were not always encouraging (Cole et al., 2003; Persson & Musher-Eizenman, 2003). Psychologists now realize that to change an already-existing attitude requires overcoming a stubborn obstacle, namely the tendency to dismiss contradictory attitudes and attend only to evidence confirming the existing attitude. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1994

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the vault’s confirmation-bias and motivated-reasoning claims; directly qualifies Allport’s symmetrical learn/unlearn assumption tested across this thread. — connects to: Positive disclaimers about outgroups function as face-keeping, not genuine praise — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1079