Rhiannon N Turner
Biographic Data
| ID | 4268091 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Rhiannon N Turner |
| GIVEN NAMES | Rhiannon N |
| FAMILY NAME | Turner |
| SIGNATURE | TURNER R N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Leeds |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 53 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Attitude change by facilitating choice
Nativist populism is on the rise across many liberal democratic contexts, yet we know relatively less about how to challenge its negative impacts. This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel intervention designed to counter nativist populist rhetoric. We draw on a social identity mobilization approach, and across two randomized control experiments in the United Kingdom (n = 850), test whether showing people how social identities can be u…
The brief scale of existential loneliness
Loneliness is a common and distressing experience which has an existential dimension. Existential loneliness is understudied and a brief, valid measure which is grounded in experiences of the phenomenon and captures its distressing nature is needed. This study therefore developed the Brief Scale of Existential Loneliness. Scale items were developed based on a literature review and qualitative inquiry. Potential items were reviewed by academic exp…
A collective action approach to improving attitudes and self-efficacy towards gender equality among male STEM academics
Despite the implementation of equality interventions within higher education, progress towards gender parity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains slow. Male educators often exhibit poorer engagement with diversity initiatives, potentially contributing to persisting gender disparities in STEM given men’s longstanding dominance in these programs. Two experiments investigate how equality interventions should be designe…
Essential Social Psychology
Essential Social Psychology introduces you to the core topics in Social Psychology, covering its history, methods, and approaches, as well as helping you grasp key topics such as social influence, group processes, prejudice, friendship, affiliation, and love. This new edition has a strong emphasis on real-world applications, for example exploring how social psychology was applied during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been updated to include more i…
Dispositional empathy and personality as predictors of contact quality
While the prejudice-reduction effect of intergroup contact has been extensively demonstrated, research identifying antecedents of positive contact and underlying mechanisms is limited. Two studies, in Italy (N = 239 Italian adolescents) and the UK (N = 299 White British adults), examined dispositional empathy and personality traits as predictors of contact quality, with effort towards contact and contact self-efficacy as underlying mechanisms. St…
Moral Expansiveness Around the World
What are the things that we think matter morally, and how do societal factors influence this? To date, research has explored several individual-level and historical factors that influence the size of our ‘moral circles.' There has, however, been less attention focused on which societal factors play a role. We present the first multi-national exploration of moral expansiveness—that is, the size of people’s moral circles across countries. We found …
It’s a feeling of complete disconnection”
Existential loneliness is a deeply rooted and impactful form of loneliness which involves feelings of profound separateness. This aspect of loneliness is deserving of further attention. Future research directions are suggested
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Cross-Race Friendships and Attraction
Four studies investigated the link between cross-race friendships and attraction. In Study 1, White Australian participants ( N = 240) who reported friendships with racial outgroup members were more likely to report attraction to the members of the racial group their friends belonged to. Studies 2a ( N = 300 White American participants) and 2b ( N = 303 White British participants) showed that experiences of cross-race non-verbal intimacy, perceiv…
A Social Identity Approach to How Elite Outgroups Are Invoked by Politicians and the Media in Nativist Populism
Existing research into nativist populist (NP) rhetoric has shown that elite outgroups can be used by politicians to further anti‐immigration agendas. The social identity functions of elite outgroups outside of cultivating anti‐immigrant prejudice, however, remain poorly understood. In addition, whether populist news media can be considered social identity entrepreneurs in their own right remains an underexplored topic. This study examines the rhe…
Out‐group trust, intergroup anxiety, and out‐group attitude as mediators of the effect of imagined intergroup contact on intergroup behavioral tendencies
We investigated whether imagining contact with an out‐group member would change behavioral tendencies toward the out‐group. In Experiment 1, B ritish high school students who imagined talking to an asylum seeker reported a stronger tendency to approach asylum seekers than did participants in a control condition. Path analysis revealed this relationship was mediated by out‐group trust and, marginally, by out‐group attitude. In Experiment 2, straig…
Combating the mental health stigma with nostalgia
We report research implicating nostalgia as an intrapersonal means of warding off the stigmatization of persons with mental illness. We hypothesized and found that nostalgia about an encounter with a person with mental illness improves attitudes toward the mentally ill. In Experiment 1, undergraduates who recalled an encounter with a mentally ill person while focusing on central (vs. peripheral) features of the nostalgia prototype reported a more…
Individuation Moderates Impressions of Conflicting Categories for Slower Processors
We investigated individuation - attribute-based impressions associated with each unique individual rather than their categorical membership - as a moderator of impressions formed when slower versus faster processors encounter conflicting social category conjunctions. Descriptions of incongruent (e.g., female bricklayer), but not congruent category conjunctions (e.g., female nurse) were moderated by individuation in the application of emergent att…
The Imagined Contact Hypothesis
Dropping the weight stigma
Perceptions of Gender Group Variability in Majority and Minority Contexts
Two field studies demonstrated that majority and minority size moderate perceived group variability. In Study 1 we found an outgroup homogeneity (OH) effect for female nurses in the majority, but an ingroup homogeneity (IH) effect for a token minority of male nurses. In Study 2 we found similar effects in a different setting – an OH effect for policemen in the majority and an IH effect for policewomen in the minority. Although measures of visibil…
Imagining intergroup contact reduces implicit prejudice
Recent research has demonstrated that imagining intergroup contact can be sufficient to reduce explicit prejudice directed towards out‐groups. In this research, we examined the impact of contact‐related mental imagery on implicit prejudice as measured by the implicit association test. We found that, relative to a control condition, young participants who imagined talking to an elderly stranger subsequently showed more positive implicit attitudes …
From imagery to intention
Imagined intergroup contact (Crisp & R. Turner, 2009) is a new indirect contact strategy for promoting tolerance and more positive intergroup relations. In this chapter, we review existing research on imagined contact and propose two routes—cognitive and affective—through which it can exert a positive influence on contact-related attitudes and intentions. We first review research that has established the beneficial impacts of imagined contact on …
Imagined Intergroup Contact
In this article, we outline a new implementation of intergroup contact theory: imagined intergroup contact. The approach combines 50 years of research into the effects of contact with recent advances in social cognition. It represents both a versatile experimental paradigm for investigating the extended and indirect impacts of social contact, as well as a flexible and effective tool for practitioners and policy makers in their efforts to promote …
Reducing prejudice via direct and extended cross-group friendship
One of the most exciting developments in intergroup contact theory is the idea that a certain type of contact, cross-group friendship, might be particularly effective at reducing prejudice. In this chapter we review research on two types of cross-group friendship. Direct cross-group friendship refers to friendships that develop between members of different groups. Extended cross-group friendship, on the other hand, refers to vicarious experience …
Dropping the weight stigma
A Social Identity Approach to How Elite Outgroups Are Invoked by Politicians and the Media in Nativist Populism
Existing research into nativist populist (NP) rhetoric has shown that elite outgroups can be used by politicians to further anti‐immigration agendas. The social identity functions of elite outgroups outside of cultivating anti‐immigrant prejudice, however, remain poorly understood. In addition, whether populist news media can be considered social identity entrepreneurs in their own right remains an underexplored topic. This study examines the rhe…
Combating the mental health stigma with nostalgia
We report research implicating nostalgia as an intrapersonal means of warding off the stigmatization of persons with mental illness. We hypothesized and found that nostalgia about an encounter with a person with mental illness improves attitudes toward the mentally ill. In Experiment 1, undergraduates who recalled an encounter with a mentally ill person while focusing on central (vs. peripheral) features of the nostalgia prototype reported a more…
Perceptions of Gender Group Variability in Majority and Minority Contexts
Two field studies demonstrated that majority and minority size moderate perceived group variability. In Study 1 we found an outgroup homogeneity (OH) effect for female nurses in the majority, but an ingroup homogeneity (IH) effect for a token minority of male nurses. In Study 2 we found similar effects in a different setting – an OH effect for policemen in the majority and an IH effect for policewomen in the minority. Although measures of visibil…
Individuation Moderates Impressions of Conflicting Categories for Slower Processors
We investigated individuation - attribute-based impressions associated with each unique individual rather than their categorical membership - as a moderator of impressions formed when slower versus faster processors encounter conflicting social category conjunctions. Descriptions of incongruent (e.g., female bricklayer), but not congruent category conjunctions (e.g., female nurse) were moderated by individuation in the application of emergent att…
Reducing prejudice via direct and extended cross-group friendship
One of the most exciting developments in intergroup contact theory is the idea that a certain type of contact, cross-group friendship, might be particularly effective at reducing prejudice. In this chapter we review research on two types of cross-group friendship. Direct cross-group friendship refers to friendships that develop between members of different groups. Extended cross-group friendship, on the other hand, refers to vicarious experience …
Imagined Intergroup Contact
In this article, we outline a new implementation of intergroup contact theory: imagined intergroup contact. The approach combines 50 years of research into the effects of contact with recent advances in social cognition. It represents both a versatile experimental paradigm for investigating the extended and indirect impacts of social contact, as well as a flexible and effective tool for practitioners and policy makers in their efforts to promote …
Imagining intergroup contact reduces implicit prejudice
Recent research has demonstrated that imagining intergroup contact can be sufficient to reduce explicit prejudice directed towards out‐groups. In this research, we examined the impact of contact‐related mental imagery on implicit prejudice as measured by the implicit association test. We found that, relative to a control condition, young participants who imagined talking to an elderly stranger subsequently showed more positive implicit attitudes …
From imagery to intention
Imagined intergroup contact (Crisp & R. Turner, 2009) is a new indirect contact strategy for promoting tolerance and more positive intergroup relations. In this chapter, we review existing research on imagined contact and propose two routes—cognitive and affective—through which it can exert a positive influence on contact-related attitudes and intentions. We first review research that has established the beneficial impacts of imagined contact on …
Dropping the weight stigma
Perceptions of Gender Group Variability in Majority and Minority Contexts
Two field studies demonstrated that majority and minority size moderate perceived group variability. In Study 1 we found an outgroup homogeneity (OH) effect for female nurses in the majority, but an ingroup homogeneity (IH) effect for a token minority of male nurses. In Study 2 we found similar effects in a different setting – an OH effect for policemen in the majority and an IH effect for policewomen in the minority. Although measures of visibil…
The Imagined Contact Hypothesis
Out‐group trust, intergroup anxiety, and out‐group attitude as mediators of the effect of imagined intergroup contact on intergroup behavioral tendencies
We investigated whether imagining contact with an out‐group member would change behavioral tendencies toward the out‐group. In Experiment 1, B ritish high school students who imagined talking to an asylum seeker reported a stronger tendency to approach asylum seekers than did participants in a control condition. Path analysis revealed this relationship was mediated by out‐group trust and, marginally, by out‐group attitude. In Experiment 2, straig…
Combating the mental health stigma with nostalgia
We report research implicating nostalgia as an intrapersonal means of warding off the stigmatization of persons with mental illness. We hypothesized and found that nostalgia about an encounter with a person with mental illness improves attitudes toward the mentally ill. In Experiment 1, undergraduates who recalled an encounter with a mentally ill person while focusing on central (vs. peripheral) features of the nostalgia prototype reported a more…
Individuation Moderates Impressions of Conflicting Categories for Slower Processors
We investigated individuation - attribute-based impressions associated with each unique individual rather than their categorical membership - as a moderator of impressions formed when slower versus faster processors encounter conflicting social category conjunctions. Descriptions of incongruent (e.g., female bricklayer), but not congruent category conjunctions (e.g., female nurse) were moderated by individuation in the application of emergent att…
An Investigation of the Relationship Between Cross-Race Friendships and Attraction
Four studies investigated the link between cross-race friendships and attraction. In Study 1, White Australian participants ( N = 240) who reported friendships with racial outgroup members were more likely to report attraction to the members of the racial group their friends belonged to. Studies 2a ( N = 300 White American participants) and 2b ( N = 303 White British participants) showed that experiences of cross-race non-verbal intimacy, perceiv…
A Social Identity Approach to How Elite Outgroups Are Invoked by Politicians and the Media in Nativist Populism
Existing research into nativist populist (NP) rhetoric has shown that elite outgroups can be used by politicians to further anti‐immigration agendas. The social identity functions of elite outgroups outside of cultivating anti‐immigrant prejudice, however, remain poorly understood. In addition, whether populist news media can be considered social identity entrepreneurs in their own right remains an underexplored topic. This study examines the rhe…
Moral Expansiveness Around the World
What are the things that we think matter morally, and how do societal factors influence this? To date, research has explored several individual-level and historical factors that influence the size of our ‘moral circles.' There has, however, been less attention focused on which societal factors play a role. We present the first multi-national exploration of moral expansiveness—that is, the size of people’s moral circles across countries. We found …
It’s a feeling of complete disconnection”
Existential loneliness is a deeply rooted and impactful form of loneliness which involves feelings of profound separateness. This aspect of loneliness is deserving of further attention. Future research directions are suggested
The brief scale of existential loneliness
Loneliness is a common and distressing experience which has an existential dimension. Existential loneliness is understudied and a brief, valid measure which is grounded in experiences of the phenomenon and captures its distressing nature is needed. This study therefore developed the Brief Scale of Existential Loneliness. Scale items were developed based on a literature review and qualitative inquiry. Potential items were reviewed by academic exp…
A collective action approach to improving attitudes and self-efficacy towards gender equality among male STEM academics
Despite the implementation of equality interventions within higher education, progress towards gender parity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) remains slow. Male educators often exhibit poorer engagement with diversity initiatives, potentially contributing to persisting gender disparities in STEM given men’s longstanding dominance in these programs. Two experiments investigate how equality interventions should be designe…
Essential Social Psychology
Essential Social Psychology introduces you to the core topics in Social Psychology, covering its history, methods, and approaches, as well as helping you grasp key topics such as social influence, group processes, prejudice, friendship, affiliation, and love. This new edition has a strong emphasis on real-world applications, for example exploring how social psychology was applied during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been updated to include more i…
Dispositional empathy and personality as predictors of contact quality
While the prejudice-reduction effect of intergroup contact has been extensively demonstrated, research identifying antecedents of positive contact and underlying mechanisms is limited. Two studies, in Italy (N = 239 Italian adolescents) and the UK (N = 299 White British adults), examined dispositional empathy and personality traits as predictors of contact quality, with effort towards contact and contact self-efficacy as underlying mechanisms. St…
Attitude change by facilitating choice
Nativist populism is on the rise across many liberal democratic contexts, yet we know relatively less about how to challenge its negative impacts. This study investigates the effectiveness of a novel intervention designed to counter nativist populist rhetoric. We draw on a social identity mobilization approach, and across two randomized control experiments in the United Kingdom (n = 850), test whether showing people how social identities can be u…
Psychology (19 works) · Social Psychology (17 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (12 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (9 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Ingroups and outgroups (5 works) · Developmental psychology (4 works) · Outgroup (4 works) · Social group (4 works)