UPCOMING SCHOOL WIDE
RESEARCH SEMINAR
ONE WEEK TO GO
TUESDAY
6th AUGUST 2019
GUEST SPEAKER: Associate
Professor Nida Denson
TITLE: Free to be childfree?
Evidence of bias towards people who
are childfree by choice
People who consciously
choose not to have children are
increasing in Western countries, yet
anecdotal evidence points to bias towards people who choose not to have children. In three
studies, we empirically tested
whether bias exists towards people who choose
to be childfree, as well as some potential moderating or mediating factors of perceptions of people from these groups. In the first two studies, we empirically
examined whether people who are
childfree by choice are targets of prejudice. We compared the
childfree by choice with commonly
prejudiced groups based on the stereotype
content model (e.g., warmth, competence). We also examined possible gender differences in bias targets as well as bias sources. In
the third study, we sought to examine possible mediating and moderating factors of the perceptions of people from these groups (e.g., dehumanization, moral outrage). We
found that people who are childfree by choice were evaluated similar to, or more negative than some commonly prejudiced target groups but not
others. We also found that people who are childfree
by choice were evaluated more negatively than people who have children, people who wanted children but could not
have children, and also
people who have adopted children.
This research is the first
quantitative work to show a small to moderate societal prejudice toward
people who choose not to have children and among parent groups, they are perceived as lowest in warmth. Promoting
awareness of this prejudice may
eventually aid in its reduction.
Location:
Keats AVLG-17 and Zoom link to Ourimbah IRC113 via Zoom link:
https://uonewcastle.zoom.us/j/926033087
Date: Tuesday
6th August 2019
Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
