Universität zu Köln

Fleischmann, Alexandra ORCID: 0000-0001-8290-4561 and Burgmer, Pascal ORCID: 0000-0003-3664-0539 (2020). Abstract Thinking Increases Support for Affirmative Action. Sex Roles, 82 (7-8). S. 493 - 512. NEW YORK: SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS. ISSN 1573-2762

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Abstract

Affirmative action is the proactive process of using resources to ensure that people are not discriminated against based on their group membership, such as gender or ethnicity. It is an effective way to reduce discrimination, but attitudes toward affirmative action are often negative, especially in groups implementing affirmative action. Previous research identified different influences on attitudes toward affirmative action, but mainly unchangeable ones. We focus on the influence of abstract thinking on support for affirmative action because abstract thinking is a changeable characteristic that can direct attention to the purpose of affirmative action policies. Across five studies with U.S. MTurk workers-focusing on women as the target group, but including other target groups as well-we show that thinking abstractly improves attitudes toward affirmative action. We observe this effect using correlational (Study 1, n = 251) and experimental (Studies 2-5, ns = 201-515) designs. Additionally, we test whether perceived discrimination increases the impact of abstract thinking on attitudes toward affirmation action (Studies 2-5). We report a meta-analysis across our studies. Overall, thinking abstractly about affirmative action clearly leads to more favorable attitudes toward it, and this effect is somewhat stronger when discrimination is perceived to be high. Consequently, companies and policymakers that would like to increase support for affirmative action policies could use abstract thinking to do so, for example by encouraging employees to think about and discuss why (vs. how) affirmative action policies are implemented.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Fleischmann, Alexandra UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-8290-4561 UNSPECIFIED Burgmer, Pascal UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-3664-0539 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-339701
DOI:	10.1007/s11199-019-01068-2
Journal or Publication Title:	Sex Roles
Volume:	82
Number:	7-8
Page Range:	S. 493 - 512
Date:	2020
Publisher:	SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
Place of Publication:	NEW YORK
ISSN:	1573-2762
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language ACTION PROGRAMS; PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTANCE; CONFIDENCE-INTERVALS; ACTION PLANS; ATTITUDES; BELIEFS; GENDER; POWER; PERCEPTIONS; RACE Multiple languages Psychology, Developmental; Psychology, Social; Women's Studies Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/33970