Luis M. Rivera

An attentional bias for thin bodies and its relation to body dissatisfaction

Research suggests that humans have an attentional bias for the rapid detection of emotionally valenced stimuli, and that such a bias might be shaped by clinical psychological states. The current research extends this work to examine the relation between body dissatisfaction and an attentional bias for thin/idealized body shapes. Across two experiments, undergraduates completed a gender-consistent body dissatisfaction measure, and a dot-probe paradigm to measure attentional biases for thin versus heavy bodies. Results indicated that men (n=21) and women (n=18) show an attentional bias for bodies that correspond to their own gender (Experiment 1), and that high body dissatisfaction among men (n=69) and women (n=89) predicts an attentional bias for thin same-gender bodies after controlling for body mass index (BMI) (Experiment 2). This research provides a new direction for studying the attentional and cognitive underpinnings of the relation between body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.

The Role of Self-Image Concerns in Discrepancies Between Implicit and Explicit Self-Esteem

Four experiments examined the hypothesis that individuals who hold discrepant implicit and explicit self-esteem possess relatively strong self-image concerns. As a result, they may act irrationally when expressing sexual health attitudes. In support of the hypothesis, Experiments 1a and 1b demonstrate that large self-esteem discrepancy participants possess strong implicit self-image ambivalence relative to small self-esteem discrepancy participants. In Experiments 2 and 3, participants who varied in self-esteem discrepancies received either negative or positive (or no) feedback on an intelligence test, and then they were given an opportunity to express implicit and explicit attitudes toward condoms. Large self-esteem discrepancy participants who received a self-threat responded irrationally and expressed relatively strong negative implicit (but not explicit) attitudes toward condoms. However, this detrimental effect was completely reversed following a self-affirmation to large discrepancy participants. The implicit and explicit attitudes toward condoms of small discrepancy participants were unaffected by a self-threat or a self-affirmation.

Teaching About Implicit Prejudices and Stereotypes A Pedagogical Demonstration

Social psychology instructors from five distinct state universities in California examined the effect of incorporating the implicit association test (IAT) in a teaching module on students’ perceived knowledge of implicit biases and motivation to control prejudice. Students (N = 258) completed a knowledge survey on prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination and a motivation to control prejudice scale before (Time 1) and after (Time 2) a teaching module on implicit and explicit prejudice that included taking the IAT. Results showed that students’ perceived knowledge of implicit biases increased after completing the teaching module. In addition, the more students displayed an implicit bias against African Americans (relative to European Americans), the more they reported mastering course material about implicit biases and the more they indicated being internally motivated to control prejudice (at Time 2). These findings suggest that using the IAT as a teaching tool might be a beneficial learning experience, in particular for individuals who display relatively pronounced implicit biases.

Implicit Criminal Identity and Age: Implications for Criminal Persistence and Desistance:

The present study examines the relations between self-reported explicit criminal identity (ECI) and implicit criminal identity (ICI); that is, the cognitive association between the self-concept and the category of criminal represented in implicit (i.e., nonconscious) memory, and the relation of implicit and explicit identities to age. One hundred six adult participants from the Newark, New Jersey, community participated in the experiment; 39% reported a justice-involvement experience defined as having been arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated. The experiment was a Justice Involvement (categorical variable) × Age (continuous variable) between-participants design using computer-based reaction time tasks. The findings supported the hypotheses that (a) while both ICI and ECI are related to justice involvement, they are uncorrelated with each other; (b) ICI increases with age; and (c) ECI decreases with age. The findings suggest that implicit social cognitions have promise in explaining persistence and desistance over and above conscious identity-based attitudes and beliefs.

The detrimental effect of affirming masculinity on judgments of gay men.

A group-based affirmation reminds individuals of important ingroup attributes and highlights positive distinctiveness. Because nonprototypical ingroup members threaten the distinctiveness of the ingroup, group-affirmed individuals may be motivated to derogate fellow nonprototypical ingroup members. Four experiments test this hypothesis by affirming masculinity in heterosexual men and examining its effect on their judgments of gay men, who are often considered nonprototypical of their gender. Consistent with the main hypothesis, heterosexual men whose masculinity was affirmed via feedback or a values writing task expressed more prejudice against gay men relative to heterosexual men who were not affirmed (Experiments 1–4). Second, affirming masculinity and threatening masculinity had the same effect—both increased antigay prejudice (Experiment 2). Third, antigay prejudice increased in response to a masculinity affirmation only when the affirmed attribute was in a domain in which gay men are considered nonprototypical (masculine toughness), but not in a domain irrelevant to gay men’s prototypicality as men (professional ambition; Experiment 3). Finally, affirming masculinity by targeting masculine characteristics important to individual male participants versus the group as a whole both increased antigay prejudice, which was mediated by social categorization (Experiment 4). Together, these findings suggest that a group-based affirmation can sometimes paradoxically increase prejudice.

Implicit self-criminal cognition and its relation to criminal behavior.

Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cognition outside of conscious awareness or control, specifically by testing whether individual differences in implicit associations between the self and the group criminals are related to criminal behavior. A Single Category Implicit Association Test measured self-criminal associations across 3 adult samples—2 from Newark, New Jersey, a high-crime United States city, and an adult national sample from the United States. Then, all participants reported their criminal behavior in 2 cross-sectional design studies and 1 longitudinal design study. Consistent with an additive model of implicit and explicit cognition, studies generally demonstrated that strong implicit self-criminal associations increased the odds of committing a criminal act, even after accounting for explicit self-criminal cognition, past criminal behavior, and/or criminal-related demographics. This research suggests that implicit self-criminal associations serve as a cognitive marker for criminal behavior. Furthermore, the present research calls into question criminal justice policies and practices that assume that criminal behavior is exclusively driven by criminal intent.

When one’s group is beneficial: The effect of group-affirmation and subjective group identification on prejudice

In three experiments, we examined whether group-affirmation reduces prejudice against outgroups. In Experiments 1 and 2, White participants completed a test of abilities then were assigned to one of three affirmation conditions. Participants either received positive feedback about their ingroup’s performance, positive feedback about their personal performance, or no feedback. Participants then provided judgments toward Blacks. Across both experiments, participants who received the ingroup performance feedback expressed the lowest levels of anti-Black prejudice, but Experiment 2 indicated this effect was limited to strongly White-identified participants. In Experiment 3, we used a different group-affirmation procedure (writing about American values) and outgroup target (Middle Easterners). Among strongly American-identified participants, those who explained why a value was important for Americans expressed lower levels of prejudice against Middle Easterners compared to those in a control condition. We suggest that affirming one’s group—or social identity—can serve as a beneficial resource in the domain of prejudice.

Incarceration as a Health Determinant for Sexual Orientation and Gender Minority Persons

Incarceration is considerably more prevalent among sexual and gender minority persons (SGM) than among the general population. Once behind bars, they are at the greatest risk for health-related harms. Although a growing number of studies have assessed health disparities produced by mass incarceration, scholars are yet to systematically assess the health consequences of incarceration on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We invite public health scholars to study the effects of incarceration on health in the SGM population and provide a roadmap to aid these research efforts. First, we document the disproportionate presence of SGM persons in jails and prisons. Second, we note health-related risks that are the most salient for this population. Third, we recommend examining heterogeneity in the effects of incarceration by teasing out distinct risks for groups defined by sexual orientation, gender identity, and race/ethnicity. Fourth, we note methodological challenges with respect to measurement and assessing causality. Finally, we discuss the importance of health care access and quality and the need to study health during incarceration and afterward.