The Reduction of Prejudice Through Mass Media

Abstract

Two programs aimed at reducing prejudice were compared; one an educational television course (N=190) and the other a six week summer workshop (N=50). The participants of both pro grams were members of the teaching profession from Boston and surrounding areas. No differential effects were found on an in strument which measures the rationality of an individual's thinking toward minority groups. The television course was found to be significantly less effective when compared to the workshop in increasing an individual's level of sympathetic identification to ward minority groups. It was concluded that the impersonal, one- way nature of television may reduce its value as a medium of influence for people whose attitudes are based on more affective vs. cognitive factors.

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