Diversity training initiatives are an increasingly large part of many organizations' diversity management portfolio. Little is known, however, about the effectiveness of such initiatives. In this article, we demonstrate how increased adherence to the principles of established social psychological theory can guide and make more coherent the development of diversity initiatives. Likewise, outcomes of diversity training can inform and make more practical social psychological theory and research. In short, both diversity trainers and academics would benefit from greater dialogue, as well as grappling with the tensions that naturally arise when theory and practice collide.
a b s t r a c tThere has been much debate surrounding the potential benefits and costs of online interaction. The present research argues that engagement with online discussion forums can have underappreciated benefits for users' well-being and engagement in offline civic action, and that identification with other online forum users plays a key role in this regard. Users of a variety of online discussion forums participated in this study. We hypothesized and found that participants who felt their expectations had been exceeded by the forum reported higher levels of forum identification. Identification, in turn, predicted their satisfaction with life and involvement in offline civic activities. Formal analyses confirmed that identification served as a mediator for both of these outcomes. Importantly, whether the forum concerned a stigmatized topic moderated certain of these relationships. Findings are discussed in the context of theoretical and applied implications.
Previous research has suggested that initial categorization of a target is a rapid, automatic process that occurs relatively independently of attentional and motivational factors. Further processing requires both perceiver interest in the target and sufficient attentional resources. The present study investigated the effects of information-processing goals on the categorization process. With one of three information-processing goals in place-accountability to a third party, estimation of the target's height, or inspection of the videotape's clarity-subjects watched a videotape of a businesswoman. Target categorization was measured usinga lexical decision task. The results demonstrated that whereas subjects in aU conditions categorized the target at a superordinate level (i.e., woman), accountable subjects also categorized the target at a more differentiated subtype level (ie., businesswoman). The authors consider these findings in the context of contemporary models of stereotyping and impression formation.
To ensure effective primary prevention of skin cancer, aimed at changing behaviour in the sun, and ultimately at reducing the incidence and mortality rates from skin cancer, sufficient information needs to be known about the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer, the effectiveness of sun protection measures, and the acceptability and uptake of protective measures by the general public. This review specifically addresses the quality and outcome of studies designed to evaluate the impact of primary prevention initiatives in the U.K. Four main areas of concern are highlighted: (i) teenage behaviour in the sun is difficult to change; (ii) fashion, in part, dictates adult and adolescent behaviour in the sun; (iii) there are practical problems related to response rates, follow-up and interpretation of self-reported behaviour; and (iv) a strategy for primary prevention in the U.K. may be falsely based on the experience and results of Australian and American programmes. Standardized methods for monitoring general population behaviour are needed in the U.K. Evaluation of interventions targeting specific groups, especially parents and young children, and the relative costs of different strategies should be reported. Primary prevention messages and strategies should be adapted to the type of ultraviolet radiation exposure experienced, and the overall low risk of melanoma, while addressing controversies on the health effects of sun exposure and sun screens.
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