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Watching movies makes you more empathetic towards stigmatized groups and people, study finds
Stanford psychologists have suggested watching docudramas to grow more empathetic toward stigmatized groups and people like formerly incarcerated people.
The world could do with a little more empathy, especially in the run-up to the Presidential election when anxiety is increased. Tensions are high, opinions are strong, and some of us seem to forget that the so-called enemy is another human being.
Watching docudramas makes you more caring
With the election in full swing and opinions more divisive than ever, it’s no surprise that Americans are questioning how to talk about politics with their loved ones. Navigating those waters can be difficult, especially if the person already has a lack of respect or care about the group of people they are so polarised about.
In a brand new Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) study, researchers at Stanford found that people were more sympathetic to a cause and its people after watching a docudrama.
“One of the hardest things for groups of people who face stigma, including previously incarcerated people, is that other Americans don’t perceive their experiences very accurately,” said Jamil Zaki, the paper’s senior. “One way to combat that lack of empathy for stigmatized groups of people is to get to know them. This is where media comes in, which has been used by psychologists for a long time as an intervention.”
The study was sparked after psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt spoke to producers of the film Just Mercy, which followed the team working to free Walter McMillian. The Black man from Alabama was sentenced to death in 1987 for the murder of a white girl despite overwhelming evidence showing his innocence.
“I told this producer we don’t have to sit and wonder — this is a question that we can answer through rigorous research,” said Eberhardt. “This paper is a first step in that direction.”
The study used Just Mercy as a blueprint for other movies
Following the study, the scientific team found that after watching Just Mercy, participants were more sympathetic toward formerly incarcerated people. Their views on criminal justice reform were also improved.
“Narratives move people in ways that numbers don’t,” Jennifer Eberhardt said, as Jamil Zaki echoed, “When people experience detailed personal narratives it opens their mind and heart to the people telling those narratives and to the groups from which those people come from,” Zaki said.
So next time you’re thinking of popping on FOX News, consider that a docudrama might be a better way to digest information. If you’re hoping to finally address a family member’s questionable political choices, perhaps show them a relevant docudrama first.
