Papers by Renata Bongiorno
A sizeable (and growing) proportion of the public in Western democracies deny the existence of an... more A sizeable (and growing) proportion of the public in Western democracies deny the existence of anthropogenic climate change 1,2 . It is commonly assumed that convincing deniers that climate change is real is necessary for them to act pro-environmentally 3,4 . However, the likelihood of 'conversion' using scientific evidence is limited because these attitudes increasingly reflect ideological positions 5,6 . An alternative approach is to identify outcomes of mitigation efforts that deniers find important. People have strong interests in the welfare of their society, so deniers may act in ways supporting mitigation efforts where they believe these efforts will have positive societal effects. In Study 1, climate change deniers (N = 155) intended to act more pro-environmentally where they thought climate change action would create a society where people are more considerate and caring, and where there is greater economic/technological development. Study 2 (N = 347) replicated this experimentally, showing that framing climate change action as increasing consideration for others, or improving economic/technological development, led to greater pro-environmental action intentions than a frame emphasizing avoiding the risks of climate change. To motivate deniers' pro-environmental actions, communication should focus on how mitigation efforts can promote a better society, rather than focusing on the reality of climate change and averting its risks.
A sizeable (and growing) proportion of the public in Western democracies deny the existence of an... more A sizeable (and growing) proportion of the public in Western democracies deny the existence of anthropogenic climate change 1,2 . It is commonly assumed that convincing deniers that climate change is real is necessary for them to act pro-environmentally 3,4 . However, the likelihood of 'conversion' using scientific evidence is limited because these attitudes increasingly reflect ideological positions 5,6 . An alternative approach is to identify outcomes of mitigation efforts that deniers find important. People have strong interests in the welfare of their society, so deniers may act in ways supporting mitigation efforts where they believe these efforts will have positive societal effects. In Study 1, climate change deniers (N = 155) intended to act more pro-environmentally where they thought climate change action would create a society where people are more considerate and caring, and where there is greater economic/technological development. Study 2 (N = 347) replicated this experimentally, showing that framing climate change action as increasing consideration for others, or improving economic/technological development, led to greater pro-environmental action intentions than a frame emphasizing avoiding the risks of climate change. To motivate deniers' pro-environmental actions, communication should focus on how mitigation efforts can promote a better society, rather than focusing on the reality of climate change and averting its risks.
PloS one, 2013
Images of scantily clad women are used by advertisers to make products more attractive to men. Th... more Images of scantily clad women are used by advertisers to make products more attractive to men. This "sex sells" approach is increasingly employed to promote ethical causes, most prominently by the animal-rights organization PETA. Yet sexualized images can dehumanize women, leaving an unresolved paradox--is it effective to advertise an ethical cause using unethical means? In Study 1, a sample of Australian male undergraduates (N = 82) viewed PETA advertisements containing either sexualized or non-sexualized images of women. Intentions to support the ethical organization were reduced for those exposed to the sexualized advertising, and this was explained by their dehumanization of the sexualized women, and not by increased arousal. Study 2 used a mixed-gender community sample from the United States (N = 280), replicating this finding and extending it by showing that behaviors helpful to the ethical cause diminished after viewing the sexualized advertisements, which was again...
The Utopias of Everyday People
Gender and the categorisation of powerful others
Is gender a fixed basic category or a flexible self-category?
Categorization
Encyclopedia of Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 2010
Looking Shifty but Telling the Truth: The Effect of Witness Demeanour on Mock Jurors’ Perceptions
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 2014
ABSTRACT Two studies investigated the impact of witness demeanour on the extent to which mock jur... more ABSTRACT Two studies investigated the impact of witness demeanour on the extent to which mock jurors were influenced by the strength of the witness’ testimony. The first study (N = 87) manipulated the strength of a witness’ testimony (strong versus weak) and the witness’ non-verbal behaviour (stereotypically deceptive versus non-deceptive). As expected, the strength of the testimony only influenced mock jurors’ perceptions when the witness displayed stereotypically non-deceptive non-verbal behaviour. A second study (N = 101) tested whether this effect was due to reliance on stereotypical but accurate cues to deception or stereotypical but inaccurate cues to deception. Participants were presented with the strong testimony from the first study in either an audio-visual format or audio-only format. Participants were only influenced by the stereotypically deceptive or non-deceptive non-verbal behaviours of the witness when such cues were accessible via audio-visual information. In the audio-only condition, where only the accurate stereotypical cues were accessible, there was no difference in evaluations as a function of witness behaviour. Results suggest that instructing jurors to rely on the demeanour of a witness when evaluating the credibility of that witness may be counter-productive.
Journal of Social Issues, 2009
In this article, we argue that progress in the study of collective action rests on an increasingl... more In this article, we argue that progress in the study of collective action rests on an increasingly sophisticated application of the social identity approach. We develop the view, however, that the application of this theoretical perspective has been limited by theoretical and empirical difficulties in distinguishing between social categories and psychological groups. These problems have undermined the ability of researchers to correctly specify the collective identities that actually underpin many instances of collective action. As a partial solution to this problem we focus on collective identities based on shared opinion (opinion-based groups). We develop the proposition that much collective action reflects the crystallization or instantiation of opinion-based groups. We also outline an intervention aimed at stimulating commitment to collective action through group-based interaction involving opinion-based group members. We conclude by emphasizing that opinion-based groups tend to be most successful when they present themselves as
What Counts as Rape? The Effect of Offense Prototypes, Victim Stereotypes, and Participant Gender on How the Complainant and Defendant are Perceived
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2014
Jurors rely on a range of schemas when evaluating allegations of rape and sexual assault. For exa... more Jurors rely on a range of schemas when evaluating allegations of rape and sexual assault. For example, they may be influenced by the prototypicality of the alleged offense, the stereotypicality of the victim, or gender-related stereotypes. These schemas have often been conflated however, making it difficult to determine the unique impact of each on jurors' perceptions. To be able to effectively counter any schema-related misconceptions, we must first identify which beliefs are important and when. An experiment (N = 420) examined the independent effects of offense prototypicality and victim stereotypicality on mock jurors' perceptions. As expected, victim stereotypicality had a greater effect on judgments in the counter-prototypical (acquaintance) assault scenario than in the prototypical (stranger) assault scenario. When the complainant was described as being a counter-stereotypical victim in the acquaintance rape scenario, the defendant was seen as less likely to be guilty and evaluated more positively and the complainant less positively compared with when the complainant was described as being a stereotypical victim. Analysis of the qualitative data suggested a focus on different factors in reaching verdicts in the stranger and acquaintance rape scenarios. Results were interpreted as evidence that jurors "step down" through a hierarchy of schemas in their attempts to determine what happened in cases of rape and sexual assault.
Journal of Applied Psychology, 2011
The "think manager-think male" (TMTM) association underlies many gender inequalities in the workp... more The "think manager-think male" (TMTM) association underlies many gender inequalities in the workplace. However, research into the "glass cliff" has demonstrated that the suitability of male and female managers varies as a function of company performance such that in times of poor performance people may "think female" . Three studies examined gender and managerial stereotypes in the context of companies that are doing well or doing badly. Study 1 reproduced TMTM associations for descriptions of managers of successful companies but demonstrated a reversal for managers of unsuccessful companies. Study 2 examined the prescriptive nature of these stereotypes. No TMTM relationship was found for ideal managers of successful companies, but ideal managers of unsuccessful companies were associated with the female stereotype. Study 3 suggested that women may be favored in times of poor performance, not because they are expected to improve the situation, but because they are seen to be good people managers and can take the blame for organizational failure. Together, the studies illustrate the importance of context as a moderator of the TMTM association. Practical and theoretical implications for gender discrimination in the workplace are discussed.
British Journal of Social Psychology, 2013
Role congruity theory predicts prejudice towards women who meet the agentic requirements of the l... more Role congruity theory predicts prejudice towards women who meet the agentic requirements of the leader role. In line with recent findings indicating greater acceptance of agentic behaviour from women, we find evidence for a more subtle form of prejudice towards women who fail to display agency in leader roles. Using a classic methodology, the agency of male and female leaders was manipulated using assertive or tentative speech, presented through written (Study 1, N = 167) or verbal (Study 2, N = 66) communications. Consistent with predictions, assertive women were as likeable and influential as assertive men, while being tentative in leadership reduced the likeability and influence of women, but not of men. Although approval of agentic behaviour from women in leadership reflects progress, evidence that women are quickly singled out for disapproval if they fail to show agency is important for understanding how they continue to be at a distinct disadvantage to men in leader roles.
Collective Futures: How Projections About the Future of Society Are Related to Actions and Attitudes Supporting Social Change
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2013
We identified the active ingredients in people&am... more We identified the active ingredients in people's visions of society's future ("collective futures") that could drive political behavior in the present. In eight studies (N = 595), people imagined society in 2050 where climate change was mitigated (Study 1), abortion laws relaxed (Study 2), marijuana legalized (Study 3), or the power of different religious groups had increased (Studies 4-8). Participants rated how this future society would differ from today in terms of societal-level dysfunction and development (e.g., crime, inequality, education, technology), people's character (warmth, competence, morality), and their values (e.g., conservation, self-transcendence). These measures were related to present-day attitudes/intentions that would promote/prevent this future (e.g., act on climate change, vote for a Muslim politician). A projection about benevolence in society (i.e., warmth/morality of people's character) was the only dimension consistently and uniquely associated with present-day attitudes and intentions across contexts. Implications for social change theories, political communication, and policy design are discussed.
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Papers by Renata Bongiorno