TY - JOUR
T1 - Avoiding Affect in Intergroup Relations
T2 - The Roles of Dispositional and Intergroup Empathy in the Relationship between Alexithymia and Prejudice
AU - Birtel, Michele
AU - Di Bernardo, Gian Antonio
AU - Hobson, Hannah
AU - Collins-Quirk, Ashleigh
AU - Vezzali, Loris
N1 - © 2023 The Authors.
PY - 2023/10/6
Y1 - 2023/10/6
N2 - Alexithymia, i.e., difficulties in recognizing, communicating, and processing one’s own emotions, is associated with poorer interpersonal relations. Emotional processes are key drivers and mechanisms of prejudice and its reduction, and alexithymia is thought to influence individuals’ empathic responses. This research examined the relationship between alexithymia and prejudice, and the role of empathy in this relationship. Three studies were conducted in three intergroup contexts to test whether alexithymia is also associated with poorer intergroup relations with LGBT+ individuals (Study 1, N = 126 heterosexual late adolescents) and Asian British people (Study 3, N = 300 White adults) in the United Kingdom, and immigrants in Italy (Study 2, N = 381 Italian adults). Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), measures on dispositional and intergroup empathic concern and perspective-taking as well as measures of prejudice (anti-outgroup hostility, anti-outgroup attitudes, anti-outgroup behavioral intentions). Lower dispositional empathic concern (Studies 1, marginal effect in Study 2) and intergroup empathic concern and perspective-taking (Study 3) mediated the relationship between the externally oriented thinking subscale of the TAS-20 (i.e., avoiding emotions and affective thinking) and greater prejudice. The findings are important for understanding the challenges of late adolescents and adults with alexithymia in intergroup relations, highlighting the role of dispositional and intergroup empathy for individual differences such as alexithymia in endorsing prejudice.
AB - Alexithymia, i.e., difficulties in recognizing, communicating, and processing one’s own emotions, is associated with poorer interpersonal relations. Emotional processes are key drivers and mechanisms of prejudice and its reduction, and alexithymia is thought to influence individuals’ empathic responses. This research examined the relationship between alexithymia and prejudice, and the role of empathy in this relationship. Three studies were conducted in three intergroup contexts to test whether alexithymia is also associated with poorer intergroup relations with LGBT+ individuals (Study 1, N = 126 heterosexual late adolescents) and Asian British people (Study 3, N = 300 White adults) in the United Kingdom, and immigrants in Italy (Study 2, N = 381 Italian adults). Participants completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), measures on dispositional and intergroup empathic concern and perspective-taking as well as measures of prejudice (anti-outgroup hostility, anti-outgroup attitudes, anti-outgroup behavioral intentions). Lower dispositional empathic concern (Studies 1, marginal effect in Study 2) and intergroup empathic concern and perspective-taking (Study 3) mediated the relationship between the externally oriented thinking subscale of the TAS-20 (i.e., avoiding emotions and affective thinking) and greater prejudice. The findings are important for understanding the challenges of late adolescents and adults with alexithymia in intergroup relations, highlighting the role of dispositional and intergroup empathy for individual differences such as alexithymia in endorsing prejudice.
U2 - 10.1111/jasp.13015
DO - 10.1111/jasp.13015
M3 - Article
SN - 0021-9029
JO - Journal of Applied Social Psychology
JF - Journal of Applied Social Psychology
ER -