(PS10-31) How Variations in Perspective Taking Can Mediate the Effects of Empathy on Implicit Racial Bias

A number of negative health outcomes and disparities in Black populations are attributed to implicit racial bias (see Carter et al., 2017; Gero et al., 2021; Sen, 2004; Snyder & Schwartz, 2019). As such, there are efforts to develop and improve interventions that decrease implicit racial bias (see Bezrukova et al., 2016; see Engberg, 2004; Lindsey et al., 2014;). Implicit bias interventions range in their approach (see Engberg, 2004; see Lai et al., 2014), and while there is no intervention more distinguished than another, PT has been commonly utilized in an effective way (Shih et al., 2009; Todd et al., 2011). PT interventions that specifically target empathy (e.g., Finlay & Stevenson, 2000; Soto & Levenson, 2009; Theriault et al., 2021) are often employed. However, with mixed results in regard to implicit racial bias (e.g., Prooijen & Coffeng, 2013; Sternadori, 2017), there remains room for improvement. Continued progress in developing PT interventions to reduce implicit racial bias may depend on both clarifying the mechanisms involved in PT interventions and comparing commonly used formats. The primary aim of this study was to examine differences in implicit racial bias among participants who have completed a video PT intervention, a vignette PT intervention, or a control activity. Additionally, the current study examined if there is a significant difference in cognitive and/or affective empathy, among participants in the video intervention, vignette intervention and control activity. Next the current study assessed whether between-group differences in implicit racial bias could be attributed to cognitive empathy, affective empathy, or both. Finally, the current study explored linguistic analysis as a potential measure for implicit racial bias.  The linguistic scale as an analysis for racial bias was supported with the data, and implications of its potential future use are discussed. The main hypotheses found no supporting results, suggesting a need to shift focus to different aspects of interventions for improvement in consistency, and a potential shift in effectiveness for bias interventions. The future implication and directions of these lack of findings are discussed.