A campus experiment by Legault, Gutsell, and Inzlicht found that compliance‑framed anti‑prejudice pamphlets ('erase racism,' 'stop prejudice') increased modern anti‑Black prejudice compared to doing nothing, while autonomy‑framed messages reduced it. If true at scale, public shaming and mandatory trainings may harden bias rather than soften it.
— It urges institutions to replace coercive DEI messaging with autonomy‑supportive approaches or risk worsening the very attitudes they aim to improve.
Michael Inzlicht
2025.08.27
100% relevant
The 2011 pamphlet study reported by Michael Inzlicht showing extrinsic, controlling language increased prejudice relative to controls.
Michael Inzlicht
2025.08.20
70% relevant
The article implicitly contrasts mandatory diversity workshops with a voluntary, fun activity (pickleball) that fosters cross‑group ties, aligning with evidence that coercive anti‑bias messaging can increase prejudice and that autonomy‑supportive, practice‑based approaches work better.
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