Kim A. Case

Raising White Privilege Awareness and Reducing Racial Prejudice: Assessing Diversity Course Effectiveness

Many diversity courses in psychology originally aimed to reduce student racial bias and raise their awareness of racism. However, quantitative data testing the effectiveness of such courses are lacking. This study assessed a required diversity courses effectiveness in raising awareness of White privilege and racism; increasing support for affirmative action; and reducing prejudice, guilt, and fear of other races. Students (N = 146) completed identical surveys during the first and last weeks of the semester. Results indicated greater awareness of White privilege and racism and more support for affirmative action by the end of the term. White students (n = 131) also expressed greater White guilt after completing the course.

Raising Male Privilege Awareness and Reducing Sexism: An Evaluation of Diversity Courses:

Research examining the impact of womens studies courses provides evidence of student changes such as greater agreement with feminist and egalitarian attitudes, lower prejudice against women, and increased activism. Using a pre- and posttest design, the current studies assess students’ awareness of male privilege, prejudice against women, support for affirmative action, and identification as feminist following courses with and without gender content. In Study 1, students taking a course entitled Psychology of Race and Gender completed identical surveys during the first and last weeks of the semester. Study 2 included students in Psychology of Women, Introduction to Womens Studies, and courses not addressing gender. Participants in diversity and womens studies courses in both studies exhibited more male privilege awareness and support for affirmative action at the end of the semester compared to pretest. However, the change in womens studies students’ support for affirmative action and sexism levels was not significantly different from students in comparison courses. Womens studies students completed their courses with greater self-identification with feminism in contrast to non–womens studies students.

Changes in Diversity Course Student Prejudice and Attitudes Toward Heterosexual Privilege and Gay Marriage

This study examined diversity course influence on student prejudice against lesbians and gay men, awareness of heterosexual privilege, and support for gay marriage. The study included heterosexual female students in psychology of women, introduction to womens studies, and nondiversity psychology courses. Students in diversity courses expressed increased heterosexual privilege awareness and support for same-sex marriage across the semester compared with no changes among the nondiversity course students. Although diversity course students also exhibited reduced prejudice against lesbians and gay men, the changes did not differ significantly from students in comparison courses.

Transgender Across the Curriculum: A Psychology for Inclusion

Neumann (2005) called for an analysis of marginalization and inclusion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students in psychology. As psychology instructors begin to infuse such content, the curriculum still overwhelmingly neglects the transgender community. This invisibility of transgender people within psychology courses allows for perpetuation of myths, stereotypes, and oppression of this particular population. Transgender inclusion requires efforts to eliminate bias in the classroom, such as derogatory comments and jokes, as well as faculty self-education with regard to the appropriate terminology for transgender subgroups. By infusing relevant transgender content into lectures and reading materials, instructors contribute to normalizing transgender issues for an inclusive curriculum.

Developing Allies to Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Youth: Training for Counselors and Educators

Lack of training regarding transgender youth leaves K–12 educators unprepared to become allies to this disenfranchised community and attend to their needs. This article explores the pedagogical strategies of two professional workshop models (GLSEN Houston training and the Gender Infinity practitioner training), which provide skills and resources for educators and counselors in K–12 settings to become adult allies to gender-nonconforming youth. Discussion includes pedagogical approaches and implications regarding sessions that provide training, resources for counselors and teachers to develop skills to support transgender youth, and responses from participants about the outcomes associated with workshop training.

Heterosexual Privilege Awareness, Prejudice, and Support of Gay Marriage Among Diversity Course Students

Although most research investigating diversity courses focuses on attitudes toward racial minorities and women, these courses may also influence student attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. The current study assessed student awareness of heterosexual privilege, prejudice against lesbians and gay men, and support for same-sex marriage. Students (N = 143) in a general diversity course completed identical surveys during the first and last weeks of the semester. Participants in diversity courses exhibited increased heterosexual privilege awareness and support for same-sex marriage, as well as less prejudice against lesbians and gay men, during the last week of the semester compared to pretest levels.

Intervention Effectiveness in Reducing Prejudice Against Transsexuals

The transgender community encounters pervasive prejudice, discrimination, and violence, yet social science literature lacks research that focuses on reduction of antitransgender prejudice. This experimental study examined the effectiveness of three interventions aimed at decreasing negative attitudes toward transsexuals, correcting participants’ beliefs in myths about transsexuality, and reducing their predicted discriminatory behaviors. Results revealed a significant decrease in negative attitudes and beliefs in myths. However, no individual intervention proved more effective than the others. The interventions led to no change in predicted discriminatory behaviors.

Increasing Academic Self-Efficacy in Statistics With a Live Vicarious Experience Presentation

This study investigated the effect of a vicarious experience on the academic self-efficacy of graduate students enrolled in a statistics and research methods course. Participants (N = 39) completed a self-efficacy scale during the first two meetings of the course. Two weeks later, a portion of these students participated in a randomly assigned intervention to increase statistics self-efficacy. In the experimental condition, a former statistics student came to the class and explained her own math anxieties and outlined the behaviors that led to her personal success in the same course. Comparison students wrote about the characteristics of a successful student in the course without the experience of a peer model presentation. Analysis of pre- and postintervention academic self-efficacy indicated students in the peer model group showed a significant increase compared to the writing group. We discuss the potential of using live vicarious experience presentations to increase self-efficacy in psychology statistics courses.

Early and Late Stage Adolescence: Adopted Adolescents’ Attachment to Their Heterosexual and Lesbian/Gay Parents

Data were collected on 154 adoptive families with gay/lesbian and straight adoptive parents (154 parent respondents & one randomly chosen adolescent from each family). This study was designed to examine three research questions: 1) Are there differences in adopted adolescent attachment to parents among early (12–15) and late (16–19) adopted adolescents; 2) are there differences in attachment to adoptive parents during early adolescence and late adolescence by parent sexual orientation; and 3) what are the factors (IVs) that contribute to level of adolescent attachment to adoptive parents (DV). The results indicated that early adolescent attachment to parents was significantly stronger than late adolescent attachment to parents. There were no significant differences in early and late adopted adolescent attachment by parents sexual orientation. A Stepwise Regression Model indicated adolescent life satisfaction and parent satisfaction of the relationship with their adopted child were significant predictors of adopted adolescent attachment to parents among this sample of gay/lesbian and heterosexual adoptive parents. The implications of these findings are discussed.

White Practitioners in Therapeutic Ally-Ance: An Intersectional Privilege Awareness Training Model

Among White1 licensed psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and counselors, research has documented a severe lack of awareness of unconscious stereotyping, systemic racism, white privilege, and white racial identity. This article introduces a privilege awareness pedagogical model as a framework for White students in clinical training programs learning about white privilege, enhancing multicultural competencies, and developing as effective allies in the therapeutic relationship, or therapeutic ally-ance. The model emphasizes intersectional privilege studies to address white privilege along with a wide variety of oppressions often neglected in the curriculum, involves personal reflection on biases and assumptions to enhance multicultural competencies, and promotes student learning through social action to dismantle privilege. The pedagogical benefits of the following activities and assignments are described: 1) group analysis of therapeutic scenarios, 2) photo-voice identity assignment, 3) white privilege reflection paper, and 4) identities education project.