Mason D. Burns, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Indianapolis
Department of Psychological Sciences
RESEARCH
My primary research interests concern stereotyping and prejudice, with an emphasis on prejudice reduction. More specifically, I have a number of programs of research investigating what features are necessary for interpersonal confrontation to effectively reduce the expression of bias, and what processes underlie confrontation effectiveness, how individuals can reduce their own implicit and explicit bias with training interventions, and the development and maintenance of self-serving biases and the potential interpersonal consequences of these biases.
Prejudice Reduction Through Interpersonal Confrontation
In my confrontation research, I have investigated the role of confrontation framing in predicting whether confrontations can effectively reduce bias. Drawing from Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985), I developed two confrontations: one that emphasized the internal reasons to avoid stereotyping, and one that emphasized external pressures to avoid bias. Theoretically, externally focused confrontations should be less effective than internally focused confrontations (Legault, Gutsell, & Inzlicht, 2011). However, we reasoned that when people are confronted about stereotypic responses that they have generated, social norms against bias would render any confrontation effective (e.g., Czopp, Monteith, & Mark, 2006). My research finds that when participants were confronted for generating stereotypic responses, both internal and external confrontations successfully reduced later stereotyping of Blacks and women. Additionally, we found that the effect of confrontation did not dissipate across time.
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Ongoing research is investigating the interpersonal consequences of different confrontation framings and reactions to different confrontations delivered by individuals of different races. Although externally focused confrontations may reduce bias, we hypothesize that they will result in greater negative interpersonal consequences relative to internally focused confrontations.
Representative Publications and Presentations
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2019). Confronting stereotypic biases: Does internal versus external motivational framing matter? Group Processes & Intergroup Relations.
Monteith, M. J., Burns, M. D., & Hildebrand, L. K. (2019). Navigating successful confrontations: What should I say and how should I say it? In Monteith, M. J., & Mallett, R. K. (Eds.), Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination: The Science of Changing Minds and Behaviors.
Carter, E.R., Monteith, M.J., & Burns, M. (2017, January) Harnessing theories of motivation to successfully confront bias. Presented at Bias in Contexts: Interpersonal Interventions and Collective Action, Sheffield, UK.
Burns, M. D. (2016, May). Autonomy support in confrontations of bias. Paper presented at the annual conference for the Midwestern Psychological Association: Chicago, IL.
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M J. (2016, January). It’s not what you say, but how you say it: Effects of confrontation framing on the reduction of race and gender stereotyping. Poster presented at the annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: San Diego, CA.
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M J. (2016, January). It’s not what you say, but how you say it: Effects of confrontation framing on the reduction of race and gender stereotyping. Poster presented at the annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: San Diego, CA.
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2015, May). Effects of confrontation framing on expressions of racism and sexism. Paper presented at the annual conference for the Midwestern Psychological Association: Chicago, IL.
Confrontations of Benevolent Sexism
Relative to confrontations of other forms of prejudice and stereotyping, confronting gender stereotypes can be challenging, in part, because recipients may be unlikely to accept such feedback. Given the importance of accepting negative feedback in the promotion of reparative efforts, the present research investigated how to frame confrontations of gender stereotyping to be more readily accepted. Across three experiments(131 and 247 U.S. undergraduates; 174 U.S. MTurk workers), we investigated how different framings for confrontations of gender stereotyping, framed as targeting either positive or negative gender stereotypes, impacted participants’ confrontation acceptance, reduction of subsequent gender stereotyping, and concern with expressing gender bias in the future.
After expressing stereotypes of women, participants were confronted or not. Confronted participants received feedback that their responses were prejudiced because they included positive or negative stereotypes of women. Results revealed that participants perceived the positive framing more favorably and were more likely to accept (i.e., believe to be accurate) the positive framing relative to the negative framing. Despite different reactions between confrontation framings, both the positive and negative confrontation framings similarly reduced subsequent gender stereotyping relative to no confrontation.
Furthermore, both confrontation framings increased participants’ concerns with expressing gender stereotypes in the future. Taken together, these results provide initial insight about how to increase acceptance of confrontations of sexism and how to reduce stereotyping.
Representative Publications and Presentations
Burns, M. D. & Granz, E. L. (2021). Confronting sexism: Promoting confrontation acceptance and reducing stereotyping through stereotype framing. Sex Roles.
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Burns, M. D. (2019, January). Confronting compliments: Reactions to confrontations of positive and negative stereotype use. Post presented at the annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Portland, OR.
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Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2017, January). How to confront a compliment? Reactions to confrontations of positive stereotype use. Poster presented at the annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: San Antonio, TX.
“Past Injustice and Present Prejudice”: Reducing Racial Bias and Increasing Sympathy by Framing Historical Racism as Recent
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Previous research has found that individuals motivated to defend society from accusations of wrongdoing are less likely to believe in ongoing racial and gender inequality. However, providing direct evidence accusing society of inequality is likely ineffective and can ironically increase system defending motivations.
Across four studies, the present research investigated indirect strategies to increase the acknowledgement of ongoing inequality by targeting motivated perceptions of the past. Results revealed that conservatives perceived inequality as part of America’s distant past and believed that past civil rights advances were steady and had few setbacks (Study 1). However, when past civil rights movements were framed as occurring closer to the present day, conservatives estimated that the Civil Rights movement as having ended more recently, which in turn predicted greater belief in lingering racial inequality (Studies 3 & 4).
These findings provide insight into how people use the past to defend the present and how to disrupt the process by which perceptions of the past influence perceptions of contemporary inequality. Furthermore, the present research offers practical guidance for educators and social justice advocates for how to discuss past and present inequality that promotes the acknowledgment of ongoing social issues.
Burns, M. D. & Granz. E. L. (2021). "Past Injustice and Present Prejudice" Reducing racial bias and increasing sympathy by framing historical racism as recent. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations
What Allies Do versus What Targets Want
Representative Publications and Presentations
Burns, M. D., Granz, E. L. (2020, February). Reconnecting the Past and the Present: Increasing Belief in Present Day Inequality through Framing Historical Inequality. Submitted for consideration at the annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.
Nontarget allies (e.g., Whites against racism) play an active role in antibias efforts, but little research has assessed the types of behaviors allies engage in and what ally behaviors targets desire.
Three studies investigated the types of behaviors allies are willing to engage in (Study 1), compared what behaviors White allies were willing to engage in to Blacks’ preferred ally behaviors (Study 2), and examined the role of ally sincerity in predicting Blacks’ preferred ally behaviors (Study 3).
Study 1 found that White allies were willing to engage in nearly all forms of ally activism; even likely unwanted behaviors. Study 2 found that targets reported wanting more ally activism than allies were willing to engage in. However, targets who were suspicious of ally motives desired allies to avoid activism altogether; suggesting targets want sincere allies or none at all. To investigate sincerity, Study 3 had Black subjects consider a Black or White activist. The White, vs. Black, activist was rated as less sincere, which then predicted wanting the activist to avoid future activism.
Thus, perceived ally sincerity predicts the type of desired ally behaviors by targets.
Representative Publications and Presentations
Granz, E. L. & Burns, M. D.(2020). Target Perceptions of Nontarget Allies: The Role of Perceived Authenticity. Submitted for consideration at the annual conference for the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.
Burns, M. D. & Granz, E. L. (2021). “Let Sincere Whites Go and Teach Non-Violence”: Blacks’ perceptions of White ally sincerity and perceptions of ally efforts. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations
Training Away Bias
Self-Directed Implicit and Explicit Bias Reduction
In recent years there has been a great deal of interest given to implicit biases and related discriminatory outcomes. Not surprisingly, numerous workplace and educational institutions are now seeking effective implicit bias reduction strategies to be implemented in diversity and inclusion programs. One popular approach for attempting to reduce implicit bias is counterstereotyping, or repeatedly pairing nonstereotypic traits to members of other groups. By repeatedly forming these new associations, counterstereotype training has been consistently associated with reduced stereotype accessibility. However, this training often fails to increase an individual’s awareness of their own tendencies to express bias, and may also fail to translate into reduced stereotype application? We argued that counterstereotyping only temporarily modifies very specific group-based associations, leaving others intact. In contrast, we argued that a motivated self-regulation intervention that first makes individuals aware that they may possess bias, and then activates the motivation to regulate this bias, would be more effective for reducing stereotype application.
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In this research I compare social cognitive prejudice reduction approaches with motivational approaches. More specifically, I compared the effects of counterstereotyping and a motivated self-regulation intervention on stereotype activation and application. Results revealed that counterstereotype training reduced the activation of particular stereotypes, but was not associated with reduced stereotype application. In contrast, motivated self-regulation was successful at reducing the application of stereotypes (Burns, Monteith, & Parker, invited resubmission). This research complements other research I have been involved in demonstrating that counterstereotyping and other implicit bias reduction strategies are ineffective at producing long-term reduction of implicit and explicit bias (Lai et al., 2016).
Representative Publications and Presentations
Burns, M. D., Monteith, M. J., & Parker, L. R. (2017). Training away bias: The differential effects of counterstereotype training and self-regulation on stereotype activation and application, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 73, 97-110.
Burns, M. D. (2017, May). The effects of counterstereotyping and self-regulation on stereotype activation and application. Paper to be presented at the annual conference for the Midwestern Psychological Association: Chicago, IL.
Lai, C. K., Skinner, A. L., Cooley, E., Murrar, S., Brauer, M., Devos, T., Calanchini, J., Xiao, Y. J., Pedram, C., Marshburn, C. K., Simon, S., Blanchar, J. C., Joy-Gaba, J. A., Conway, J., Redford, L., Klein, R. A., Roussos, G., Schellhaas, F. M. H., Burns, M., Hu, X., McLean, M. C., Axt, J. R., Asgari, S., Schmidt, K., Rubinstein., R, Marini, M., Rubichi, S., Shin,. J. L., & Nosek, B. A. (2016). Reducing implicit racial preferences: II. Intervention effectiveness across time. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General. 145, 1001-1016.
Burns, M. D., Parker, L. R., & Monteith, M. J. (2016). Self-Regulation Strategies for Combatting Prejudice. In F. K. Barlow & C. G. Sibley (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of the Psychology of Prejudice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Monteith, M. J., Parker, L.R., & Burns, M.D. (2015). The Self-Regulation of Prejudice. In T.D. Nelson (Ed.), Handbook of Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination. New York: Psychology Press.
Burns, M. D., Webster, R. J., & Saucier, D. A. (2011, January). The effects of denying false feedback on affect and evaluations of ingroup and outgroup members. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: San Antonio, TX.
Bias Awareness with and without Training
The Effects of Self-Regulation Training
In a related program of research, I examine the divergent outcomes associated with simply making individuals aware of their biases versus coupling this awareness with an intervention designed to train people to regulate these biases (Burns & Monteith, in preparation). Participants were made aware of their biases, or not, with and without accompanying self-regulation training (self-regulation learning; SRL) before reporting their expectations of a supposedly upcoming interracial interaction. Results suggest that among participants relatively high in internal motivation to respond without prejudice (IMS; Plant & Devine, 1998), self-regulation learning decrease the belief that bias is fixed and unchanging relative to control and awareness only participants. Subsequent moderated mediation analyses reveal that the effect of self-regulation learning on desires to learn about bias reduction, positive interaction expectations, and more was mediated by fixed by beliefs among motivated participants. Put another way, SRL increased desires to learn about bias reduction, increased positive expectations, and improved a series of other outcomes because of SRL's ability to reduce the belief that bias is fixed. Thus, SRL appears to be an effective means of raising bias awareness, and not only avoids negative consequences associated with bias awareness, but also appears to improve various outcomes associated with intergroup contact.
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In addition to my laboratory research on prejudice reduction, I have had firsthand experience translating theoretically driven research to diversity and inclusion programs. Specifically, I have been involved in the development and implementation of a diversity and inclusion intervention aimed at improving the intergroup climate on Purdue’s campus. In the future, I plan to continue the development of empirically supported, portable, and inexpensive stereotyping and prejudice reduction interventions ready for application in workplace and educational settings.
Representative Publications and Presentations
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2018, May). Effects of bias awareness and self-regulation training on interracial interactions. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL.
Parker, L. R., Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2014, January). Putting prejudice reduction online: The effects of remote vs. in person learning on self-efficacy to respond without bias. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Austin, TX.
Burns, M. D., Parker, L., & Monteith, M. J. (2013, January). Curb your prejudice: Effects of bias reduction strategies on intergroup evaluations. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: New Orleans, LA.
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2012, May). Implicit bias education and expectations about interracial interactions. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Midwestern Psychological Association: Chicago, IL.
Self-Serving Biases and Their Effects on Perceptions of Others
My interests in interpersonal bias extends to research on how and why people develop biases in favor of themselves. I have a number of programs of research investigating such self-serving biases. As an example, I have investigated the effect of system justifying beliefs on perceptions of disadvantaged others. System justifying beliefs, such as beliefs that society allocates rewards and punishments fairly, leads individuals to believe that victims of unfortunate outcomes are to blame for these outcomes. We investigated whether this bias affected judgments of people who had experiences workplace layoffs associated with downsizing. Results revealed that individuals higher in system justifying beliefs assigned more blame to victims of downsizing, and were subsequently less likely to hire downsized applicants. Ongoing research is investigating the role of race as a potentially exacerbating factor for the downsizing penalty. Additional research is investigating the role of system justifying beliefs on perceptions to questionable cultural traditions (i.e., use of Native American mascots in athletic and educational settings).
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Another program of research investigates the tendency for people to exaggerate connections between themselves and notable, even negative, events as an impression management strategy (Hale, Burns, & Tan, in preparation). Although researchers have previously noted peoples’ tendency to associate themselves with glorious others (Bask in Reflected Glory; Cialdini, Borden, Thorne, Walker, Freeman, & Sloan, 1976), we were interested in whether this tendency extended to notable negative events. Across seven experiments we found that individuals do in fact Bask in Reflected Tragedy by exaggerating and/or announcing trivial connections to tragic events to the extent the events are perceived as important to their groups.
Representative Publications and Presentations
Monteith, M. J., Burns, M. D., & Rupp, D. E. (2016). Out of work and out of luck? Layoffs, system justification, and hiring decisions for people who have been laid off. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7, 77-84.
Saucier, D. A., Stanford, A. J., Miller, S. S., Martens, A. L., Miller, A. K., Jones, T. L., McManus, J. L., & Burns, M. D. (2016). Masculine honor beliefs: measurement and correlates. Personality and Individual Difference, 94, 7-15.
Hales, A. H., Burns, M. D., & Tan, K. (in preparation). Basking in reflected tragedy as an indirect image maintenance strategy.
Burns, M. D., Monteith, M. J., & Rupp, D. E. (2014, May). System justifying beliefs and reactions to targets of corporate downsizing. Paper presented at the annual conference for the Midwestern Psychological Association: Chicago, IL.
Burns, M. D., & Monteith, M. J. (2013, May). System justification, belief in a just world, and perceptions of the downsized in hiring decisions. Paper presented at the annual conference for the Midwestern Psychological Association: Chicago, IL.
Webster, R. J., Burns, M. D., Pickering, M., & Saucier, D. A. (2013). The justification and suppression of prejudice as a function of political orientation. European Journal of Personality. 28, 44-59.
Burns, M. D., McManus, J. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2012, January). Honor beliefs and masculine courage: Real men don’t back down. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: San Diego, CA.
Davis. J., Burns, M. D., McManus, J. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2011, January). Honor, aggression, and masculinity as predictors of men’s sport perceptions and experiences. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: San Antonio, TX.
Burns, M. D., Webster, R. J., & Saucier, D. A. (2010, January). Revisiting the effects of political orientation on prejudice toward minority groups. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Las Vegas, NV.
Pickering, M., Burns, M. D., Webster, R. J., McElhaney, L., & Saucier, D. A. (2009, February). Red and blue: Does motivation to control prejudice mediate the relationship between political orientation and prejudice? Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Tampa, FL.
McElhaney, L., Webster, R. J., Pickering, M., Burns, M. D., Daugherty, J. R., & Saucier, D. A. (2009, February). Near and far: How does thinking about ingroup and outgroup members’ deaths at home and afar affect terror management responses? Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology: Tampa, FL.
Webster, R. J., Burns, M. D., Pickering, M., & Saucier, D. A. (2009, May). Justification and suppression factors mediate the relationship between political orientation and prejudice. Poster presented at the annual conference for the Association for Psychological Science: San Francisco, CA.