Intergroup Contact Improves Medical Student Attitudes and Skill in Transgender Health Care.

Purpose: Poorer health outcomes for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals have been associated with lack of health care provider knowledge and personal bias. Training at all levels of medical education has been positioned as one strategy to combat these inequities. This study sought to characterize preclinical medical student attitude, skill, and knowledge pre- and post-teaching with TGD community volunteers. Methods: This matched pre- and post-test study was conducted from July 2020 to August 2021 capturing two preclinical medical student cohorts exposed to the same teaching intervention. Students completed the Transgender Attitudes and Beliefs Scale (TABS) and the Transgender Development of Clinical Skills Scale (T-DOCSS) at baseline, 1 week, and 1 month after the clinical skills session. Tutors' attitudes to TGD health were measured before facilitating teaching, using the Attitudes Toward Transgender Patients and Beliefs and Knowledge about Treating Transgender Patients scales. Results: Fifty-nine students completed questionnaires at three time points and were included in this study. Total TABS and T-DOCCS scores increased from preintervention to 1-week follow-up, maintained at 1 month, with significant changes in Interpersonal Comfort and Sex and Gender Beliefs subscales. Scores on the Human Value subscale did not change, remaining consistently high. Postintervention knowledge-question scores were high. Nine of 13 tutors completed surveys, demonstrating overall positive attitudes toward gender diversity and TGD health. Conclusion: This study demonstrates improvement in preclinical medical student attitudes and self-reported skill toward gender health care sustained at 1 month after small-group teaching with TGD community volunteers.

Simulated Contact and Attitudes Toward Autistic Adults: Effects of Gender of the Autistic Adult and Mediation by Intergroup Anxiety.

PURPOSE: Neurotypical peers tend to have negative attitudes toward autistic peers, which may contribute to negative outcomes for autistic individuals. The present study was designed to build upon previous findings by testing whether simulating contact with an individual labeled as autistic and exhibiting stereotypical autistic behaviors, which has been shown to improve neurotypical individuals' attitudes toward autistic peers, depended on the gender of the imagined person. We also examined whether intergroup anxiety mediated the effects of simulated contact on these attitudes. METHODS: Neurotypical undergraduate participants (n = 194) were assigned to simulated contact scenarios in which the person in the imagined contact situation was labeled as autistic or not, exhibited stereotypical autistic behaviors or not and was given a female-identifying or male-identifying name. Participants completed questionnaires that assessed their attitudes toward autism, their previous contact with autistic individuals and their intergroup anxiety with future interactions with autistic people. RESULTS: As expected, after imagining contact with a person exhibiting stereotypical autistic behaviors, attitudes toward autistic individuals were more positive following interactions with male- but not female-identifying autistic partners. Intergroup anxiety was found to be a mediator of the effects of imagined contact on attitudes toward autistic individuals. CONCLUSION: These findings lend further support for imagined contact as a method to improve attitudes toward autistic individuals, identify intergroup anxiety as a mediator and begin to demonstrate some situations, such as imagining a female-identifying autistic individual, where imagined contact may not be effective in changing attitudes.

The Impact of an Autistic Character Media Portrayal on Autistic Stereotypes : MEDIA PORTRAYAL.

PURPOSE: Research has demonstrated that neurotypical college students view their autistic peers more negatively than their neurotypical peers and endorse stereotypes related to autism. One way to improve attitudes towards autistic individuals is to induce vicarious intergroup contact through the media in which seeing the lived experiences of an autistic character may reduce stereotypes via social learning. The current study sought to examine whether exposure to an autistic character in a television show would impact the stereotypes that neurotypical college students have about autism. METHODS: College student participants (n = 147) viewed one of three short video clips depicting an autistic character who spoke about her experiences with ASD (i.e., informational condition), behaved in a relatable manner to neurotypical students (i.e., relatable condition), or engaged in stereotypical autistic behaviors (i.e., stereotypical condition). RESULTS: Results indicated that stereotypes about autistic people were less negative for participants who watched the informational clip than the relatable clip, and liking for the character mediated this relationship. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that a short video featuring a likeable autistic person may reduce stereotypes about autism.

Effects of surface profile on porcine dural mechanical properties.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid leakage through the spinal meninges is difficult to diagnose and treat. Moreover, its underlying mechanism remains unknown. Considering that the dura mater is structurally the strongest and outermost membrane among the three-layered meninges, we hypothesized that a dural mechanical tear would trigger spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leakage, especially when a traumatic loading event is involved. Thus, accurate biomechanical properties of the dura mater are indispensable for improving computational models, which aid in predicting blunt impact injuries and creating artificial substitutes for transplantation and surgical training. METHOD: We characterized the surface profile of the spinal dura and its mechanical properties (Young's moduli) with a distinction of its inherent anatomical sites (i.e., the cervical and lumbar regions as well as the dorsal and ventral sides of the spinal cord). FINDINGS: Although the obtained Young's moduli exhibited no considerable difference between the aforementioned anatomical sites, our results suggested that the wrinkles structurally formed along the longitudinal direction would relieve stress concentration on the dural surface under in vivo and supraphysiological conditions, enabling mechanical protection of the dural tissue from a blunt impact force that was externally applied to the spine. INTERPRETATION: This study provides fundamental data that can be used for accurately predicting cerebrospinal fluid leakage due to blunt impact trauma.

How contact can promote societal change amid conflict: An intergroup contact field experiment in Nigeria.

Intergroup contact, originally designed as a tool for prejudice reduction, offers a promising means to resolve intergroup conflict. Evidence for contact-based interventions to improve intergroup relations is sparse, however, with most studies focusing only on the individuals who directly engage in contact. We test the ability of a contact-based intervention to promote peace between conflicting groups with a field experiment in Nigeria, where farmer and pastoralist communities are embroiled in a deadly conflict over land use. We examine the effectiveness of the contact intervention on the wider population-not just those directly engaged in contact-using surveys, direct observation of behavior in markets and social events, and a behavioral game. We find those who lived in the communities that received the intervention had more positive intergroup attitudes and feelings of physical security, as well as were more likely to engage in voluntary intergroup contact measured through self-reports and observed behavior in markets. Exploratory analyses show that those who directly participated in the program and those who were exposed to it by living in the communities where activities were taking place changed similarly with regard to attitudes and perceptions of security, but not with regard to behaviors, indicating the spread to the wider community was likely due to norm change. These results suggest that contact interventions can have wider societal change and reduce the barriers to peace between conflicting groups.

'A human face and voice': transgender patient-educator and medical student perspectives on gender-diversity teaching.

BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people face many obstacles in accessing health care, including discrimination, institutional bias, and clinician knowledge deficits. We developed a clinical skills and education module on gender-affirming care for pre-clinical medical students, in collaboration with a TGD-led civil society organisation. The module consisted of an educational session followed by preceptor-facilitated small group tutorials, led by TGD patient-educators (n = 22) who used their lived experience to explore medical history-taking and broader issues related to TGD healthcare with students (n = 199). This study aimed to explore the views of students and TGD patient-educators on the structure, delivery and impact of the module. METHODS: Analysis of responses of TGD patient-educators and students to the module (2020 and 2021), in post-intervention surveys using open-ended questions for TGD patient-educators (18 responses from 22 educators) and free text comments as part of a quantitative survey for medical students (89 responses). RESULTS: Responses from students and patient-educators to the session were highly positive. Students and patient-educators emphasised that the teaching session succeeded through elevating the centrality of shared experience and creating a safe space for learning and teaching. Safety was experienced by patient-educators through the recognition of their own expertise in a medical environment, while students reported a non-judgemental teaching space which allowed them to explore and redress recognised limitations in knowledge and skill. Patient-educators described their motivation to teach as being driven by a sense of responsibility to their community. Preceptor attitudes may function as a barrier to the effectiveness of this teaching, and further attention should be paid to supporting the education of clinical facilitators in TGD health. CONCLUSION: The experiences of TGD patient-educators and medical students in this study suggest that this model of teaching could serve as a transferable template for TGD health and the inclusion of other historically marginalised groups in medical education.

Non-Destructive Eggshell Strength Assessment Using Hertz Contact Theory Part I: Theory and Applicability.

In the egg industry, fast and highly reliable quality measurements are crucial. This study presents a novel method based on Hertz contact theory that allows for non-destructive determination of eggshell strength. The goal of the study was to evaluate the material strength (Young's Modulus) and structural strength (stiffness) of eggshells. To this end, an experimental setup was constructed to measure the collision of an eggshell with a small steel ball, which was recorded using a laser vibrometer. The study analyzed a sample of 120 eggs and found a correlation of 0.85 between the traditional static stiffness measured during quasi-static compression tests and the stiffness obtained from the Hertz contact theory. The results show that Hertz contact theory is valid for small steel spheres impacting eggshells, while a sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important factor in determining the strength of the eggshell is the contact duration between the egg and the impactor. These results open up the possibility of grading eggs based on their shell strength in a non-destructive manner.

Non-Destructive Eggshell Strength Assessment Using Hertz Contact Theory-Part II: Implementation and Validation.

Eggshell strength is a critical quality factor for consumption eggs as it affects the probability of breakage in practice. In this study, a fast and low-cost methodology for the non-destructive determination of eggshell strength is presented. The method utilized a small steel ball to impact the egg and a microphone to analyse the impact characteristics. Hertz contact theory was applied to relate the measured impact characteristics to the local stiffness of the eggshell. Therefore, a total of 150 eggs were studied on which eight consecutive measurements per egg were taken around the equator at equidistant places. The results showed a strong correlation of 0.93 between the traditional static stiffness measured during quasi-static compression tests and the average stiffness obtained from the new methodology. This paves the way towards fast, low-cost and non-destructive in-line shell strength measurements to reduce the number of cracked eggs reaching the consumer.

Networks in the making: Friendship segregation and ethnic homophily.

Recent work focuses on how homophily (tastes for similarity) can lead to network segregation (the lack of intergroup friendships). Yet studies seldom consider whether and how levels of network segregation could also lead to the trend towards homophily over time. Instead, existing cross-sectional studies argue that intergroup exposure exacerbates homophily. By neglecting longitudinal data on changes to friendships and focusing on intergroup exposure rather than initial intergroup friendships, existing studies are likely to present an overly pessimistic view on the benefits of intergroup contact. Using longitudinal data and stochastic actor-oriented models, I study how levels of initial ethnic network segregation between students in Swedish Classrooms with "native" backgrounds and immigrant-origin students are related to subsequent levels of ethnic homophily. Results show that more initial network segregation in classroom friendship networks is linked to more ethnic homophily in network evolution, which suggests that beyond mere exposure, optimal conditions for contact and actual intergroup friendships are crucial for positive intergroup dynamics, and that their benefits can appear longitudinally.

Individual changes in abortion knowledge and attitudes.

RATIONALE: Policymakers need to know the abortion attitudes of those they represent. In addition, inaccurate knowledge of or negative attitudes toward abortion may lead to more abortion stigma, which may adversely affect abortion access and women's health. OBJECTIVE: The first objective was to examine whether individual's abortion knowledge and attitudes changed during 2016-2020 in Delaware and Maryland. The second was to explore whether personally knowing someone who had an abortion in 2020 was associated with knowledge, attitudes, and changes in them from 2016 to 2020. METHODS: Data were from the Delaware [Maryland] Survey of Women, a probability sample that was self-administered via web and mail (N = 1106). Women aged 18-44 from Delaware and Maryland were followed from 2016/2017 to 2019/2020. Outcomes were each two facets of abortion knowledge (perceived safety and perceived access) and abortion attitudes (acceptability and advocacy self-identification), and changes in these outcomes. The main predictor was whether women personally knew someone who had an abortion. Covariates included state, religiosity, pregnancy history, and sociodemographic factors. We used logistic models with inverse probability weights. RESULTS: The percentage of respondents who changed between the first and third waves varied: 46% changed their views on safety and accessibility; 21% changed their views on acceptability; and 25% changed their advocacy self-identification. Knowing someone personally who had an abortion was associated with changing toward viewing abortion as very safe and towards pro-choice, and with not changing towards viewing abortion as wrong or identifying as pro-life. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest abortion knowledge and attitudes are not fixed but change over time, and knowing someone who had an abortion or having an abortion oneself was associated with changing toward positive attitudes and accurate knowledge. Sharing one's abortion experience with others one knows may reduce negative attitudes and inaccurate knowledge regarding abortion.

Predictors of attitudes toward potentially having a lesbian, gay, or bisexual child among Chinese heterosexual adults.

Parental acceptance is a robust protective factor for lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) individuals' mental health, yet its predictors have not been frequently studied in China. The present study examined predictors of Chinese heterosexual adults' attitudes toward potentially having an LGB child. Participants were 700 Chinese nationals (37.6% women and 62.4% men) aged 18-64 who identified as exclusively heterosexual and did not have an LGB child. We found that beliefs about the changeability of sexual orientation and beliefs in negative outcomes of being LGB predicted negative attitudes toward having an LGB child in domains of emotion, cognition, and behavior. Moreover, more exposure to LGB individuals predicted reduced disapproval and negative actions as well as increased positive actions. These findings revealed the key factors to changing Chinese people's attitudes toward having an LGB child. Clinical implications for therapists and counselors working with Chinese LGB individuals and their parents are discussed.

Clinical and counseling psychology doctoral trainees' attitudes toward and interest in working with older adult clients.

The small percentage of psychologists specializing in geropsychology will be increasingly insufficient to meet projected mental health needs of the growing older adult population in the United States. The current study examined contact with older adults, empathy, and multicultural competence as predictors of counseling and clinical psychology doctoral trainees' attitudes toward and interest in working with older adults. A sample of 311 doctoral trainees in clinical (n = 234) and counseling (n = 78) psychology were surveyed online. A structural equation model testing hypothesized interrelationships between study variables showed good fit. Greater contact with older adults was significantly related to less ageist attitudes, greater interest in work with older adults, and more empathy. Less ageist attitudes were significantly related to greater interest in clinical work with older adults. Greater empathy was significantly related to less ageist attitudes and greater multicultural competence, but to less interest in working with older adults. Empathy mediated the relation of contact to attitudes. Increasing positive contact with older adults as part of doctoral training in counseling and clinical psychology may enhance trainees' empathy, attitudes toward older adults, and interest in work with older adults.

Public Stigma and Personal Networks: Confronting the Limitations of Unidimensional Measures of Social Contact.

One of the most promising directions for reducing mental illness stigma lies in Allport's contact theory, which suggests that intergroup interactions reduce stigma. Here, we argue that stigmatizing attitudes are driven by the nature, magnitude, and valence of community-based ties to people with mental illness (PMI), not simply their presence. Using the 2018 General Social Survey (N = 1,113), we compare network-based measures of contact to traditional survey indicators. We find that knowing someone with mental illness, or even number of people known, explains little about desire for social distance, perceptions of dangerousness, or endorsement of treatment coercion. However, having stronger relationships with more PMI, having more friends and family (but not more peripheral ties) with mental illness, and knowing people in treatment are associated with less stigma endorsement. In contrast, we find that exposure to PMI who are perceived as dangerous is associated with greater levels of stigma.

Contact theory and the multiethnic community of Riace, Italy: An ethnographic examination.

This article uses the case of Riace, a small multiethnic community in Southern Italy, as a lens to evaluate key theoretical and methodological aspects of the influential Intergroup Contact Theory. The article draws upon 10 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Riace, Italy, a town that for more than 20 years has hosted and integrated refugees into the local community. We analyzed the ethnographic material in light of assumptions underlying intergroup contact theory. Findings demonstrate that friendly everyday interactions between inhabitants of different ethnic backgrounds serve as the critical "social glue" for the Riace community, but that there are social inequalities, as well as group stereotypes, group-based friendships, and spatial segregation. The different interpretations and nuanced outcomes of everyday social interactions demonstrate the importance of a contextualized understanding of the nature and implications of intergroup contact in real-world settings for future research and policies.

Proximal contact with Latino immigrants and immigration attitudes.

The growth of the Latino community has increased levels of contact between this minority group and the predominately white majority. How does exposure to immigrants impact attitudes towards immigrants and immigration held by white Americans? We argue that previous work has not adequately tested the relationship posited by inter-group contact theory, whereby contact should shape policy attitudes. We test our theory drawing on the 2018 Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES). We find that among non-Hispanic whites, having a loved one who is a Latino immigrant improves attitudes towards immigrants as a group, which in turn is associated with declining support for punitive immigration policy. We likewise find that attitudes towards immigrants as a group mediates the relationship between proximal contact and policy attitudes. We draw on a variety of strategies to assess the robustness of the findings and to tease out evidence for the causal pathway we theorize is at work. As the demographics of the nation continue to change, growing closer to minority-majority status, understanding the factors that shape how white Americans regard their minority neighbors is of heightened importance.

The Integration of Wheelchair Users in Team Handball.

Thus far, there are only a few sports activities in which people with and without intellectual disabilities can participate together and on an equal footing. The situation is even more complicated when people who are dependent on a wheelchair want to take part. The sports project Freiwurf Hamburg aims to make team handball playable for everyone. This case study documents how this can be achieved with a modified version of the handball game for runners and wheelchair users. Qualitative and quantitative data are collected and evaluated. The results show that players tend to distinguish between the roles of runner and wheelchair user rather than between disabled and non-disabled.

Language patterns of outgroup prejudice.

Although explicit verbal expression of prejudice and stereotypes may have become less common due to the recent rise of social norms against prejudice, prejudice in language still persists in more subtle forms. It remains unclear whether and how language patterns predict variance in prejudice across a large number of minority groups. Informed by construal level theory, intergroup-contact theory, and linguistic expectancy bias, we leverage a natural language corpus of 1.8 million newspaper articles to investigate patterns of language referencing 60 U.S. minority groups. We found that perception of social distance among immigrant groups is reflected in language production: Groups perceived as socially distant (vs. close) are also more likely to be mentioned in abstract (vs. concrete) language. Concreteness was also strongly positively correlated with sentiment, a phenomenon that was unique to language concerning minority groups, suggesting a strong tendency for more socially distant groups to be represented with more negative language. We also provide a qualitative exploration of the content of outgroup prejudice by applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation to language referencing minority groups in the context of immigration. We identified 15 immigrant-related topics (e.g., politics, arts, crime, illegal workers, museums, food) and the strength of their association and relationship with perceived sentiment for each minority group. This research demonstrates how perceived social distance and language concreteness are related and correlate with outgroup negativity, provides a practical and ecologically valid method for investigating perceptions of minority groups in language, and helps elaborate the connection between theoretical positions from social psychology with recent studies from computer science on prejudice embedded in natural language.

The effect of direct and extended contact on attitudes towards social robots.

The development of social robots has the potential to address significant societal concerns, however, most people have limited experience of such technology. The present research investigated whether techniques borrowed from the psychology of intergroup relations - namely direct and extended contact - affect people's attitudes towards robots. Participants were provided with either direct contact with a social robot or extended contact (these participants watched a video recorded by a friend who had met the robot) before their explicit and implicit attitudes towards robots were measured. Results indicated that direct contact affected both explicit and implicit attitudes, while extended contact affected implicit attitudes. The implication of these findings is that contact with a robot, direct or indirect, can change attitudes; much as previous research has shown that contact with a person who is a member of an out-group can change attitudes towards that group. We conclude that methods and theories from the study of human intergroup relationships can be usefully applied to understand attitudes toward social robots.