The Effects of Applying Theories of Attitude and Behavior Change for Reducing Prejudice of College Students

초록

The purpose of this study was to develop an anti-prejudice educational program that effectively deals with an individual's dynamic socio-cultural environment. In order to develop this program, researchers integrated theories of behavior change by Bandura (1986), Fishbein & Ajzen (2011) as well as Petty & Cacioppo's (1986) elaborate likelihood model of persuasion. The aim of this program was to have students deeply process their prejudices and its consequences in relation to their personal lives rather than instruct the problems of prejudice they could have trouble relating to. The program was carried out for 5 weeks, with 24 university students who volunteered to participate. Each week a 90-minute session was carried out, and for each week students submitted reflection papers for their assignments. Analysis of the reflection papers revealed that the program has potential for increasing sensitivity to prejudices or prejudicial behaviors that would have been otherwise unrecognizable by the individual. Results also indicated that the mental effort put into thinking about prejudices throughout the program, and the task of carrying out actual actions for reducing prejudices helped them change their attitudes towards the target group as well as their self-efficacy for overcoming prejudice. Findings of this study imply that future anti-prejudice programs should incorporate topics/issues intimately related to one's life and address the differences in the sources of prejudices and the individual's experiences of the interaction of the subject of prejudice

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