03/04/2025
By Alexander Clinton

The College of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology, invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Alexander Clinton on “Positive Empathy: A Novel Intervention Design for Reducing Bias.”

Doctoral Concentration: Applied Psychology & Prevention Science
Date: 3/20/2025
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should email Alexander Clinton (alexander_clinton@uml.edu) at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Dissertation Chair: Jason Lawrence, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, UMass Lowell

Committee Members:
Jiabin Shen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, UMass Lowell
Robin Toof, Ph.D., Director for the Center of Community Research and Engagement, UMass Lowell

Abstract:
Issues of bias across racial groups are a serious problem for communities nationwide. In response, research has focused on developing interventions to reduce the negative effects of intergroup bias. One type of intervention, empathy-based approaches, aims to use empathy inductions to shift biases and mitigate their harmful effects. While empathy interventions have successfully reduced explicit bias, addressing implicit bias—bias at the unconscious level—has proven more difficult. However, the distinction between positive and negative empathy interventions may hold the key to addressing implicit bias. If negative empathy reinforces associations between a group and negativity, positive empathy may create new associations between a group and positivity, potentially influencing implicit attitudes. This dissertation explores the current literature on empathy interventions, with a particular focus on how positive and negative empathy influence the effectiveness of intervention designs. Using an experimental approach with experiential media designed to induce empathic responses, the study examines how positive and negative empathy affect both explicit and implicit biases, with implications for future applications of these intervention styles.