PIP: Purdue Identities Project

Transcription

1 Learning Outcomes Type Time Activities Materials Assessment Understand the burden of disclosure and concealment; Understand the meaning and nature of identity; Gain understanding on the needed conditions to precipitate in disclosure. In-class minutes, dependent on use of media and discussions Lecture Worksheet Group discussion Slides; Never Have I Ever Worksheet Process questions Evaluation All materials for this module are available online at: Never Have I Ever: Introducing students to hidden identities Description Willingness to disclose Intergroup anxiety This in-class activity and lecture asks students to play a short introspective game, which exposes them to the concepts of hidden identities, disclosure, and the potential for stigma and discrimination. Individuals with concealed identities experience significant stress from the burden of having to conceal significant parts of their lives and who they are (over and above the burden which may come from the identity; Pachankis, 2007). By participating in this activity, students may gain more empathy for the burden of concealing and the need to create a safe climate (Jones & King, 2014). They may also be disclosing, in addition to experiencing greater willingness to disclose, their own identities under certain conditions (Phillips, Rothbard, & Dumas, 2009; see Appendix E). Instructions 1. Before the activity, electronically administer the two questionnaires found in Appendix E and Appendix F. a. General Disclosiveness Scale: i. b. Attitudes on Intergroup Bias & Intergroup Anxiety: i The instructor should distribute the handout (see Appendix A) to students, cautioning them to fill out the assignment alone. Clarify how the sheet should be filled out by reviewing the example item and describing the Never Have I Ever game (though stipulate this version will be alcohol free). 3. Determine whether or not the group size and trust level is sufficient to allow for discussions or whether or not to avoid group interactions.

2 a. Set Up: All students should be told that they will engage in discussion regarding the answers of the questionnaire after completion. Emphasize that they should skip any item that they do not wish to discuss by selecting PASS. i. Instructor notes: It is important the class size be small enough AND that the trust level be established before allowing students to disclose aspects of their identities that may be stigmatized to others (see Capell, Tzafrir, Dolan, & Hackett, 2016). Students may not be fully aware of the consequences of disclosing even innocuous pieces of information, thus if in doubt, avoid the group discussion of answers to the questionnaire. 1. Students will invariably ask for clarification on the nature of the assignment and the meaning of specific prompts. Unless compelled to do so, try to avoid discussing the purpose or meaning, and instead direct them to finish the questionnaire, at which time the answers may be discussed. a. If the Environment is Suitable for Disclosure: Upon completion of the questionnaire, ask the students to form small groups (4-6 people). Ask the students to discuss the questions in Appendix C. b. If the Environment May Not Be Suitable for Disclosure: Pass out the process questions (See Appendix D). Instruct the students that despite the initial instructions, they will not actually be discussing specific answers to the questionnaire and instead will be reviewing the questions on the document. i. Remind them that they should not ask others what they answered, but may disclose their own answers if they so choose. 4. After the groups have spent minutes (dependent on free time) discussing the assigned questions, bring them back to the group to review the answers to the process questions in Appendix D, focusing especially on the third question (see Appendix D for the full chart), which delineates each potential identity potentially revealed by a pass or affirmative response. 5. Using the slide deck (see Appendix B), ask: How many people felt anxious at any point during this activity? (Discuss reasons why) 6. Ask: How many of you felt the same way you felt during this activity when: a. you meet a new friend? b. you walk across campus? (Get a few students answers as to why they have felt that way). c. Show slide on campus climate survey statistics i. Inform students: Each time a minority/concealed identity holder meets someone knew, they consider: 1. Is this safe? 2. How much should I tell? 3. If I tell, what will you think about what I tell? 4. Can I be sure you ll understand my answer in the same way that I say it? 5. Will you tell someone without my approval? 6. What s the worst case scenario? d. Ask: If these were the considerations that needed to be made each time you encountered a new situation: Would you want to meet new people? Join a frat? Go to class?

3 e. Discuss: Explain the negative effects of concealing identities and the hazards of disclosure. i. Even when students are courageous and disclose, how would they respond when something quite negative occurs? 1. Show BoilerIdentities video for Jessica 7. Conclude: At the end of the slides, discussion may transition into a broader lecture on discrimination, stigma, diversity, race and culture, or similar issues. It may also be appended to one of the various activities from the PIP curriculum repository. Contact identities@purdue.edu for suggestions. 8. At the completion, electronically administer the post- version of the two questionnaires found in Appendix E and Appendix F. a. General Disclosiveness Scale: i. b. Attitudes on Intergroup Bias & Intergroup Anxiety: i Please also send students the a link to the demographics survey a. Reference Source(s) Capell, B., Tzafrir, S. S., Dolan, S. L., & Hackett, J. (2016). The disclosure of concealable stigmas: Analysis anchored in trust. Cogent Psychology, 3, Jones, K. P., & King, E. B. (2014). Managing concealable stigmas at work: A review and multilevel model. Journal of Management, 40, Pachankis, J. E. (2007). The psychological implications of concealing a stigma: A cognitive-affectivebehavioral model. Psychological Bulletin, 133, Phillips, K. W., Rothbard, N. P., & Dumas, T. L. (2009). To disclose or not to disclose? Status distance and self-disclosure in diverse environments. Academy of Management Review, 34,

4 Appendix A Never Have I Ever INSTRUCTIONS: Based on the drinking game, Never Have I Ever, in a small group, you and your peers discuss the following prompts (without alcohol!). First, however, fill out the questionnaire by yourself. For prompts regarding which you do not know the answer or do not want to disclose the answer, select SKIP. Example: Never have I ever eaten an entire pizza (If you HAVE eaten an entire pizza, select I HAVE! ) Tip: You may not know everyone in the group, so think ahead about the potential reactions that others in your group may have to your revealed answers. Consider whether or not you are comfortable with your peer group obtaining information regarding your response. You may be subject to unexpected perspectives from your peers depending on what you say. Never have I ever. Response 1. been on a plane I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 2. kissed a member of the opposite sex I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 3. lost a loved one I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 4. had more than $1,000 in a savings account I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 5. spoken another language fluently I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 6. had a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent from another race I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 7. had a family member with depression (including self) I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 8. kissed a member of the same sex I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 9. maintained a GPA higher than a B average I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP 10. had a surgery I HAVE! I HAVEN T! SKIP

5 Appendix B Slides Preview (See slide deck for full slide content)

6 Appendix C Worksheet Do not feel the need to disclose your own answers to the questionnaire or to ask others to disclose their answers. You may, however, discuss them if you wish. 1. What were the main patterns that emerged across the people in your group? 2. Which items had most people experienced? Why? 3. Which had the fewest experienced? Why? 4. Which items were skipped the most? Why? 5. If people are willing to discuss, did any questions make anyone uncomfortable? Why? 6. Did anyone consider lying about their answers? 7. Do you think you would have felt differently about doing the activity if you had thought that nobody would know your answers? If you were with family? Close friends? Why or why not? 8. What would have made the process more comfortable?

7 Instructions: Discuss the following prompts with your group. Appendix D Process Questions (answers in italics) Do not feel the need to disclose your own answers to the questionnaire or to ask others to disclose their answers. You may, however, discuss them if you wish. 1. Discuss any similarities or significant differences among the questions. o Draw students attentions toward the experiential nature of the questions. Ask them to consider what our experiences mean or reveal about us. 2. What do you think the purpose of this activity was? o The purpose of the activity was to help students to experience the discomfort (and potentially fear) that comes when determining whether or not to disclose potentially stigmatizing information. By experiencing that choice directly in a relatively safe space, students can understand better what it may be like for others to disclose in much less structured environments. 3. Did everyone in the group have the same interpretation of each question? Which meanings did you question?

8 o Ask students what some of the varied interpretations were. After several answers, go through the list one-byone and ask what each question might have revealed. Use the answers in the following table as a guide, although many more apply: Question Potential Identities 11. been on a plane Socioeconomic status; rural vs urban; phobia; medical condition; culture 12. kissed a member of the opposite sex Heterosexual (or not); could reference a parent or family member; romantic past 13. lost a loved one Survivor; trauma; life experience 14. had more than $1,000 in a savings account Socioeconomic status; work ethic; exposure to mentoring/trauma/family support 15. spoken another language fluently Culture; education; socioeconomic status 16. had a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent from Culture; biracial status; minority status; adopted status; blended family another race 17. had a family member with depression (including self) Mental illness; trauma; grief 18. kissed a member of the same sex Homosexual; could reference a parent or family member; romantic past 19. maintained a GPA higher than a B average Intelligence; socioeconomic status; personality; lifestyle 20. had a surgery Illness; disability; socioeconomic status; personality (e.g., cosmetic)

9 4. Did you (or anyone in the group) feel uncomfortable at any point while filling out the worksheet? Why? If not, why was that the case (and why do you think others did)? o Note that students need not disclose personal information, however, invite them to conjecture as to why these types of questions, in this setting, may make some people uncomfortable. If the students did not experience discomfort, ask them why they felt protected. 5. What would have been needed to make the exercise more stress-free for yourself or others? o Allow the students to brainstorm ways to create a safe climate wherein either the questions would not be asked in the way they were (one common solution ) or individuals were made to feel safe enough that it wouldn t matter if they were. Example: Setting ground rules; restricting hateful or biased language; broad, frequent discussion of many topics; positive response to differences 6. Do you think you would have felt differently about doing the activity if you had thought that nobody would know your answers? If you were with family? Close friends? Why or why not?

10 o Many students are willing to disclose such information on anonymous surveys or to themselves, but may feel less willing to do so to others. Students often are more willing to reveal potentially stigmatizing information to friends versus family members, who may have religious or other concerns that students do not wish to encounter.

11 Appendix E General Disclosiveness Scale (Wheeless, 1976) Pre/Post Instructor Note: Individuals choose to hide parts of their identities for variety of reasons, including social support, social network variables, trauma level(larson & Chastai, 1984), and also a lack of knowledge about identity-related language (Phinney, Romero, Nava, & Huang, 2001) Increasing resources in any of these areas may lead to increased willingness to attempt disclosure. This pre/post assessment measure students willingness to disclosure identity-related information in five-dimension of intended disclosure factor (No. 1-4), Amount Factor (No.5-11), Positivieness-Negativeness Factor (No ), Control of Depth Factor (No19-24), and Honesty-Accuracy Factor (No ). The questionnaire uses the formula Y = intended disclosure (.07) + amount (.22) + positiveness (-. 14) + honestyaccuracy (. 17), higher score shows more likely to disclosure. Students who participate in identity knowledge may be more likely to disclose after the activity. References: Larson, D., & Chastai, R. (1984). Self-concealment: Conceptualization, measurement, and health implications. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9(7), Phinney, J. S., Romero, I., Nava, M., & Huang, D. (2001). The role of language, parents, and peers in ethnic identity among adolescents in immigrant families. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30(2), Name Section Instructions: Please indicate the degree to which you agree with the following statements as it applies to how you generally interact with others in person. 1. When I wish, my self-disclosures are always accurate reflections of who I really am. 2. When I express my personal feelings, I am always aware of what I am doing and saying. 3. When I reveal my feelings about myself, I consciously intend to do so. 4. When I am self-disclosing, I am consciously aware of what I am revealing. 5. I do not often talk about myself.

12 6. My statements of my feelings are usually brief. 7. I usually talk about myself for fairly long periods at a time. 8. My conversation lasts the least time when I am discussing myself. 9. I often talk about myself. 10. I often discuss my feelings about myself. 11. Only infrequently do I express my personal beliefs. 12. I usually disclose positive things about myself. 13. On the whole, my disclosures about myself are more negative than positive. 14. I normally reveal bad feelings about myself. 15. I normally express my good feelings about myself. 16. I often reveal more undesirable things about myself than desirable things. 17. I usually disclose negative things about myself. 18. On the whole, my disclosures about myself are more positive than negative. 19. I intimately disclose who I really am, openly and fully in my conversation.

13 20. Once I get started, my self-disclosures last a long time. 21. I typically reveal information about myself without intending to. 22. I often disclose intimate, personal things about myself without hesitation. 23. I feel that I sometimes do not control my self-disclosure of personal or intimate things I tell about myself. 24. Once I get started, I intimately and fully reveal myself in my self-disclosures. 25. I cannot reveal myself when I want to because I do not know myself thoroughly enough. 26. I am often not confident that my expressions of my own feelings, emotions, and experiences are true reflections of myself. 27. I always feel completely sincere when I reveal my own feelings and experiences. 28. My self-disclosures are completely accurate reflections of who I really am. 29. I am not always honest in my self-disclosure. 30. When I wish, my self-disclosures are always accurate reflections of who I really am. 31. I am always honest in my self-disclosures.

14 Scoring section: Items: Intended disclosure factor (No. 1-4) Amount Factor (No.5-11) Positivieness-Negativeness Factor (No ) Control of Depth Factor (No.19-23) Total

15 Appendix F Attitudes on Intergroup Bias and Intergroup Anxiety (Plant & Devine, 2003) Pre/Post Instructor Note: The research argued that a lack of positive previous experiences with out-group members creates negative expectancies about interracial interactions, which can result in intergroup anxiety. To assess students change in intergroup anxiety and related concepts before and after the assignment, we adapted the questionnaire from the Plant, E. A., & Devine, P. G. (2003) to assess attitudes towards general identity groups. For the quantity of previous contact, the index was created such that higher scores indicated more previous contact with black people. The indexes for the quality of previous contact were created such that higher scores indicated more positive previous contact with out-group people. Outcome expectancies were computed such that higher scores on the index reflected more negative expectancies regarding the likelihood of responding with prejudice in interactions with out-group people. In addition, higher scores on the anxiety index reflected more anxiety resulting from interacting with out-group people. For the avoidance index, higher scores indicated more of a desire to avoid interacting with out-group people. Finally, the hostility index was computed such that higher scores reflected more hostility resulting from interactions with out-group people. Plant, E. A., & Devine, P. G. (2003). The antecedents and implications of interracial anxiety. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(6), Intergroup bias and intergroup anxiety (Plant & Devine, 2003) Name: Section: Identity of your partner: 1. In the past, I have interacted with individuals from my interaction partner s identity group in many areas of my life (e.g., school, friends, works, and clubs). 2. The neighborhood(s) I grew up in had mostly majority group students. 3. The high school I attended had mostly majority group students. 4. In the past, I have rarely interacted with individuals from my interaction partner s identity group. 5. In the past, my experiences with my interaction partner s identity group have been pleasant.

16 6. Over the course of my life, I have had many friends from my interaction partner s identity group. 7. I have had many positive experiences with my interaction partner s identity group. 8. I am confident that stereotypes don t affect how I interact with a person from my interaction partner s identity group. 9. Even if we hadn t met before, a person from interaction partner s identity group would expect me to be prejudiced. 10. When interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, he or she would see me as prejudiced no matter what I did. 11. When interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, I would be unsure how to act in order to show him or her that I am not prejudiced. 12. Sometimes stereotypes come to my mind when interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, even when I wish they wouldn t. 13. If I were interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, regardless of my behavior, he or she would interpret my behavior as prejudiced. 14. When interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, I would know what to say in order to come across as nonprejudiced. 15. When interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, I would imagine that he or she would be watching my behavior closely for prejudice. 16. A person from my interaction partner s identity group does not look for prejudice in a majority group s behavior.

17 17. I am confident that I can respond without prejudice when interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group. 18. Sometimes a person from my interaction partner s identity group views normal behavior of a majority group as prejudiced. 19. I would feel awkward when interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group. 20. I would feel uncomfortable when interacting with a person from interaction partner s identity group. 1 strongly disagree 2 disagree 3 disagree somehow 4 undecided 5 agree somehow 6 agree 7 strongly agree 21. When interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, I would feel relaxed. 22. When interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, I would feel nervous. 23. If I had a choice, I would rather not interact with a person from my interaction partner s identity group. 24. If I can avoid interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group, I do. 25. I like interacting with people from my interaction partner s identity group. 26. I would feel hostile when interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group. 27. Interacting with a person from my interaction partner s identity group would be irritating.