An Experimental Test of the Impact of Black Role Model Messages: Research to Inform the REACH Role Model Programme

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275350256 An experimental test of the impact of Black role model messages: Research to inform the REACH role model programme Technical Report · July 2009 CITATIONS READS 0 68 4 authors, including: Dominic Abrams Adam Rutland University of Kent Goldsmiths, University of London 485 PUBLICATIONS 20,555 CITATIONS 118 PUBLICATIONS 5,441 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Alison Benbow Leibniz Universität Hannover 21 PUBLICATIONS 159 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Social Influence View project Partizipation in organisierten Gruppen und psychosoziale Anpassung Jugendlicher View project All content following this page was uploaded by Dominic Abrams on 25 June 2015. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. An experimental test of the impact of Black role model messages: Research to inform the REACH role model programme Technical report www.communities.gov.uk community, opportunity, prosperity An experimental test of the impact of Black role model messages: Research to inform the REACH role model programme Technical report Tirza Leader, Dominic Abrams, & Adam Rutland Research Associate: Alison Benbow Centre for the Study of Group Processes, University of Kent Department for Communities and Local Government July 2009 3 The findings in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department for Communities and Local Government. Copyright in the contents, the cover, the design and the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown. This document/publication is value added. If you wish to re-use this material, please apply for a Click-Use Licence for value added material at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/system/online/pLogin.asp Alternatively applications can be sent to: Office of Public Sector Information Information Policy Team Kew Richmond upon Thames Surrey TW9 4DU E-mail: [email protected] This publication has been approved by Ministers and has official status. The contents of this publication may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for the purposes of private research and study or for internal circulation within an organisation. This is subject to the contents being reproduced accurately and not in a way that implies official status. Any publisher wishing to reproduce the content of this publication must not use or replicate the logo or replicate the official version’s style and appearance, including the design, and must not present their publication as being an official publication as this may confuse the public. The reproduced material must be acknowledged as Crown Copyright and the title of the publication specified. Any other use of the contents of this publication would require a copyright licence. Further information can obtained from www.opsi.gov.uk Department for Communities and Local Government Eland House Bressenden Place London SW1E 5DU Telephone : 020 7944 4400 Website : www.communities.gov.uk © Queen’s Printer and Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 2009 Further copies are available online via the Communities and Local Government website : www.communites.gov.uk ISBN : 978 1 4098 1646 1 Executive Summary These are the main findings, conclusions and recommendations from an experimental study of the impact of different types of Black male role model on Black and non-Black school children and on young Black men. This project involved the participation of over 1420 people from across London. The research programme aimed to address the following questions. Does hearing about role models have any impact on Black boys and young men? If so, which qualities should the role model communicate in their messages in order to effectively reach and inspire people, as well as challenge negative stereotypes? Are there any unexpected or unintended negative consequences of these particular messages from role models? Four sets of participants each heard a recording of one of four types of role model relating their life experience (either overcoming significant or modest hurdles) and achievements (in either material or social-moral areas of their lives). They then answered questions about their views of the role model presented in that vignette. Along with a fifth set of participants (baseline control – who did not hear about any role model vignettes), they then answered questions about their self-image, stereotypes about Black men, their job aspirations and any role models they had already. School age children were revisited a month later to determine what, if anything, they remembered about the role models and to identify any longer-term effects of the messages. Key Findings and Recommendations • Role Model Impact: It is clear that a role model who has achieved in a material domain makes a strong positive impression and is someone the Black boys and young men would like to emulate. In general, role models who achieved in a more social-moral domain are viewed as likeable but this does not appear to translate into being inspiring, or someone the Black boys or young men want to emulate, to the same degree as the materialistic role models. Instead, Black boys and young men consistently reported the materialistic role models as being more competent and as someone they would like to emulate.1 In terms of social psychological theory, this perhaps suggests that the materialistic outcome is detected easily by the peripheral route to persuasion and thus has the most immediate, if not necessarily the deepest impact. Therefore the REACH role models could include concrete material achievements in their discussions with Black youth as a way of reinforcing the ‘value’ of the role models. 1 Throughout the document effects of scale of achievement have been reported. However, these effects are not as consistent as those for type of success and we therefore do not feel confident about making clear recommendations about this dimension. 5 • Differences between Boys and Young Men: Hearing about role models seems to have different effects for Black boys and young men. The evidence shows that the role models have greater potential to influence and inspire Black boys than young Black men, perhaps because the self-concepts of Black boys are still in a more formative period. However, debriefing discussions also indicated that the young men were enthusiastic and positive about the programme as a whole but would value practical help towards pursuing careers rather than just hearing about role models. There are a couple implications in terms of social psychological theory. First, the Black young men may feel threatened when they compare their own success to the successful role models. Second, the Black young men may not be as influenced by the peripheral information provided by the role models, but instead would prefer more practical information that would be provided through a central route of persuasion. This suggests that REACH role models may want to include materials with specific practical advice in order to engage the Black young men. However, whether or not this tactic would work has not been tested, and therefore role models should be advised that their work may have a greater impact on Black boys. • Self-image and Community Role Models: Counter to stereotypical beliefs Black boys and young men had very positive self-images2. Hearing about the role models positively affects Black boys’ self image for skilfulness and cleverness. Additionally, Black boys and young men report having heard of or meeting people similar to the role models. Both of these findings are potentially positive. The REACH role models could capitalise on these potential benefits, perhaps by explicitly asking Black boys to think about people they know or who have met who are like the role model. This might encourage them to make contact with these people and follow their example, as well as provide a boost to their self-image. • Stereotype Reinforcement: Among young men (and Black girls), hearing about role models compared with not hearing about a role model reinforces the perception that others view Black men in a less positive light on some dimensions. The most likely reason for this effect is that learning about an impressive role model created a contrast against existing negative stereotypes which therefore reminded the participants about that stereotype. In terms of social psychological theory, this is an issue of whether people compare themselves with the ‘group prototype’ or an ‘individual exemplar’3, and whether they either assimilate to, or contrast themselves with, each. It will be important for the REACH role models to be aware of these effects. There is a risk that young men may be adversely affected by being reminded about negative expectations, in which case this effect needs to be addressed directly. The REACH programme will need to be careful to show clearly how 2 In fact, Black boys had higher levels of self-esteem than White boys. 3 The group prototype is an average example of the group, whereas the individual exemplar represents specific instances of contact with a member of that group. In this case, if people compare themselves to a group prototype for Black men, becoming like an exemplary role model may seem impossible. However, if people compare themselves to an individual exemplar, than an exemplary role model may simply join this list as a new individual exemplar. the role model provides an example of how to get past those stereotypes. We recommend a follow up experiment to test strategies for countering potential negative stereotype reinforcement. • Social Comparisons: It is clear that the Black male role models were most attractive and impressive to the Black male participants than to the other participants in this experiment. In terms of social psychological theory, this suggests that the Black male role models were seen to be more prototypical of the Black males’ ingroup than the other participants’ ingroups.

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