Changing prejudice with evaluative conditioning

• Authors: Robert Balas , Joanna Sweklej
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

The presented study investigates attitude change using a cross-modal evaluative conditioning (EC) paradigm. EC is a change in evaluative responses towards initially neutral stimulus (CS) due to its repeated pairing with affectively valenced stimulus (US). A positive scent of instant chocolate (US+) was used together with pictures of homeless people (US-) to change affective responses towards neutral names (CS). We show that a classic EC effect, i.e. more negative CS evaluations after its pairing with negative images of the homeless, can be eliminated when a competitive US, i.e. a positive chocolate scent, is present in the environment. Additionally, the study demonstrates chocolate scent selectively increased attitude towards homeless as measured by perceived distance to self and a self-report questionnaire. Moreover, this effect was not mediated by mood changes. We argue that scents can be used to change attitudes towards stigmatized groups.

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk
• Journal: Polish Psychological Bulletin
• Year: 2013
• Volume: 44
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 379-383

Contributors

author

Robert Balas

• Institute of Psychology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jaracza 1, 00-378, Warsaw, Poland

author

Joanna Sweklej