S4 E13 | Trigger Warning: Are Prejudiced Beliefs Actually on the Rise?

The Dissidents

In this week's episode Mike and Elizabeth talk about research that contradicts the commonly accepted belief that prejudice has increased in recent years. While expectations of day-to-day discrimination were especially high during Donald Trump's presidency, evidence suggests that overall levels of prejudice have continued to be flat or in decline for 15 years. Several studies have found increased willingness to express prejudices, particularly after exposure to Trump rhetoric, however such findings were limited to Trump supporters, and were not found among self-described Republicans, conservatives, Democrats and progressives who did not support Trump.

Podcast notes:

Ruisch, B. C., & Ferguson, M. J. (2023). Did Donald Trump’s presidency reshape Americans’ prejudices? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 27(3), 207–209.