TY - JOUR
T1 - Do You Say Something When It's Your Boss? The Role of Perpetrator Power in Prejudice Confrontation
AU - Ashburn-Nardo, Leslie
AU - Blanchar, John C.
AU - Petersson, Jessica
AU - Morris, Kathryn A.
AU - Goodwin, Stephanie A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 The Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
PY - 2014/12/1
Y1 - 2014/12/1
N2 - Two experiments examined the role of perpetrator power in witnesses' decision to confront a prejudicial remark. In Experiment 1, participants who witnessed a sexist remark by a higher-power (vs. an equal-power) perpetrator were significantly less likely to express confrontation intentions, despite finding the remark highly biased and inappropriate. In Experiment 2, participants read scenarios involving a sexist versus racist remark perpetrated by someone higher vs. lower vs. equal in power, and they reported their confrontation intentions. Perpetrator power again inhibited direct confrontation intentions, and this effect was mediated by perceptions of responsibility for intervening, perceived ability to decide how to respond, and perceived costs versus benefits of confronting. Findings were not qualified by discrimination type (racism vs. sexism) or by individual differences in participant prejudice. Consistent with power-as-approach theory, feeling powerless increased sensitivity to confrontation obstacles and thereby inhibited confrontation intentions.
AB - Two experiments examined the role of perpetrator power in witnesses' decision to confront a prejudicial remark. In Experiment 1, participants who witnessed a sexist remark by a higher-power (vs. an equal-power) perpetrator were significantly less likely to express confrontation intentions, despite finding the remark highly biased and inappropriate. In Experiment 2, participants read scenarios involving a sexist versus racist remark perpetrated by someone higher vs. lower vs. equal in power, and they reported their confrontation intentions. Perpetrator power again inhibited direct confrontation intentions, and this effect was mediated by perceptions of responsibility for intervening, perceived ability to decide how to respond, and perceived costs versus benefits of confronting. Findings were not qualified by discrimination type (racism vs. sexism) or by individual differences in participant prejudice. Consistent with power-as-approach theory, feeling powerless increased sensitivity to confrontation obstacles and thereby inhibited confrontation intentions.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84914810204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84914810204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/josi.12082
DO - 10.1111/josi.12082
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84914810204
SN - 0022-4537
VL - 70
SP - 615
EP - 636
JO - Journal of Social Issues
JF - Journal of Social Issues
IS - 4
ER -