Empathy versus evidence: Does perspective-taking for a discrimination claimant bias judgments of institutional sexism?

Abstract

We examined whether perspective-taking increased people’s recognition of institutional sexism in cases where evidence was in favor or against a woman’s claim. In Experiment 1, participants who took the perspective of a woman claiming institutional sexism made greater attributions to discrimination than participants who remained objective, but only if legitimate evidence of discrimination was presented. Experiment 2 replicates and extends Experiment 1 with a nonstudent, jury-eligible sample. The present research suggests perspective-taking does not bias people’s perceptions and may be an effective strategy for increasing recognition of legitimate claims of institutional sexism.