Unintended Consequences of DEI Structures: How DEI Framing Undermines Perspective-Taking and Desire for Future Contact in Discrimination Claims

Abstract: The presence of institutional diversity structures can lead dominant group members to perceive their environments as more procedurally fair and dismiss claims of discrimination (Dover et al., 2020; Kaiser et al., 2013). However, less is known about how these structures shape their attitudes and reactions toward members of minoritized groups who make such claims. Two experimental studies (N = 1,250) revealed that institutional diversity structures (college admissions framing: control vs. merit vs. DEI) interact with White male participants’ denial of systemic inequality (i.e., modern sexism beliefs) to shape responses. When the female target was admitted through a DEI program, White male participants who strongly endorsed modern sexism beliefs responded most negatively: they were least likely to see her claims of sexism as credible, were least empathic, and were most unwilling to interact with her in the future. Study 3 (in progress) examines possible mediators (e.g., legitimacy of target’s admissions) underlying these findings.

Keywords: Discrimination, Intergroup relations, DEI, Diversity Structures, Perspective-taking, Gender