Texas Weekly Online

Menu
Menu
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Author:

New study finds DEI initiatives creating ‘hostile attribution bias’

New study finds DEI initiatives creating ‘hostile attribution bias’

New research from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) and Rutgers University reveals that some diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training methods may cause psychological harm. The study, released on Monday, shows significant increases in hostility and punitive attitudes among participants exposed to DEI pedagogy covering subjects like race, religion and caste. This hostile attribution bias may contribute to increased intergroup hostility and authoritarian behavior in the long run, according to study co-author and NCRI Chief Science Officer Joel Finkelstein. “What we did was we took a lot of these ideas that were found to still be very prominent in a lot of these DEI lectures and interventions and training,” said Finkelstein in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And we said, ‘Well, how is this going to affect people?’ What we found is that when people are exposed to this ideology, what happens is they become hostile without any indication that anything racist has happened.” TRUMP’S CHOICE FOR FCC CHAIRMAN SAYS AGENCY ‘WILL END ITS PROMOTION OF DEI’ NEXT YEAR A Pew Research Center study from 2023 found that 52% of American workers have DEI training events or meetings at work and, according to Professor Iris Bohnet with the Harvard Kennedy School, $8 billion is spent annually on such programs. As DEI programs have become a major area of investment in recent years, their actual effectiveness remains a topic of debate, with NCRI’s study suggesting they may exacerbate tensions rather than alleviate them. The study measured “explicit bias, social distancing, demonization, and authoritarian tendencies” with both the DEI materials and control materials. CONSERVATIVE WATCHDOG RELEASES ‘TOOLKIT’ TO HELP PARENTS FILE COMPLAINTS WITH THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT Their study included sharing anti-racist DEI materials from thought leaders like Ibram X. Kendi and “White Fragility” author Robin DiAngelo with participants involved. Specifically, the NCRI focused on materials which emphasized awareness of and opposition to “systemic oppression,” popularized by texts such as Kendi’s “How to Be an Antiracist.” Those exposed to anti-racist materials were linked to heightened perceptions of racial bias in the study. Participants were also more likely to support punitive measures against perceived offenders of so-called “microaggressions,” even in the absence of evidence. TRUMP’S CABINET PICKS LOOK TO DITCH DEI IN THE MILITARY “And when people are supposed to see anti-racist material in the ideology, it looks like what happens is that they become more likely to punish for any evidence of wrongdoing,” said Finkelstein. “That includes protesting people, calling for dismissal, demanding public apologies, receiving people calling for their relocation. These punitive measures are, in some cases, costing people their jobs.” DEI programming psychological harms go beyond race according to NCRI’s study, spanning to religious identities as well. According to the study, anti-Islamophobia training led participants to detect bias against Muslims in neutral scenarios. The NCRI used materials from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), which “provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making,” according to its website. IBRAM X. KENDI’S ANTIRACISM CENTER SAW POOR FINANCIAL ADMIN DECISIONS, FORMER STAFFERS SAY: REPORT These results suggest that anti-Islamophobia training inspired by ISPU materials may cause individuals to assume unfair treatment of Muslim people, even when no evidence of bias or unfairness is present. This effect highlights a broader issue: DEI narratives that focus heavily on victimization and systemic oppression can foster unwarranted distrust and suspicions of institutions and alter subjective assessments of events. One key takeaway from Finkelstein in the NCRI study is that the authoritarianism that comes from hostile attribution bias looks different in the 21st century.  According to Finkelstein, those who are likely to carry hostilities are “people who are higher in what’s called left-wing authoritarianism. This is now a steady phenomenon. We the people have been studying right-wing authoritarianism since World War II. It’s really only in the past 10 or 15 years that people have started saying, ‘Wait a minute, this is on the left, too.” Across all groupings, instead of DEI materials reducing bias, the study discovered they engendered a hostile attribution bias amplifying perceptions of prejudicial hostility where none was present. “They’re bad ideas, because they’re hurting people; and that appears from research and appears to be far more prevalent and is shockingly public, these harms can be extremely widespread,” said Finkelstein. “So I think that is grounds to believe that from this research, and it suggests that we need to be focused on this data, and we need more data like it. [But we can] start evaluating what’s happening here, and I don’t think this is about speech. I certainly think it’s about people’s civil rights.” Representatives DiAngelo did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP When reached for comment, Kendi slammed both Fox News and the study, calling it “pseudoscience.”  “It comes as no surprise that Fox News would broadcast this pseudoscience that isn’t peer-reviewed, misrepresents my work, and is based on anchoring bias,” Kendi said. “This so-called study will end up in the historic landfill of pseudoscience alongside other attempts to bring scientific legitimacy to racist propaganda that anti-slavery and civil rights then, and DEI and antiracism now have been harmful.” Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

PETA protests Biden turkey pardon with ‘Hell on Wheels’ display, subliminal messaging to make people go vegan

PETA protests Biden turkey pardon with ‘Hell on Wheels’ display, subliminal messaging to make people go vegan

An animal rights group will bombard the streets of D.C. with visceral cries of distressed turkeys and subliminal messages urging people to go vegan as the White House participates in its annual Thanksgiving turkey pardon tradition on Monday. The distressing animal cries and subliminal messaging are part of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) “Hell on Wheels” turkey truck, which has been traveling to 30 different states across the country since as early as October, stopping at grocery stores, busy downtown areas and eventually the presidential turkey pardon. The truck, which is intended to look like a realistic turkey transport truck covered with images of birds crammed into crates, was posted on Sunday evening outside the Willard Hotel, where the birds were housed ahead of the ceremony. On Monday, the truck set up shop outside the White House.  THIS THANKSGIVING, NEARLY 35% OF AMERICANS SURVEYED ARE TURNED OFF BY TURKEY “It’s a life-sized Turkey transportation truck, and it’s covered with images of real sickly turkeys. And if people listen very closely, they will hear a subliminal message to go vegan every 10 seconds. And that’s because we want people to listen closely and watch closely, because every turkey is an individual,” Amanda Brody, assistant manager in PETA’s international grassroots campaigns department, told Fox News Digital.  “No one needs to eat meat, dairy or eggs to be healthy, and everyone can help stop this needless suffering by simply going vegan today or enjoying a vegan roast at their Thanksgiving dinner this Thursday.” DR. SIEGEL’S FOOD SAFETY TIPS FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER Earlier this month, PETA President Ingrid Newkirk sent a letter to President Biden urging the “lame duck president” to cancel what she described as the “wretched” turkey pardon tradition. Newkirk argued the tradition is “a humiliating meat-industry stunt that uses the White House as its public relations backdrop.” “Turkeys are devoted parents who purr to their chicks, and whose skin changes color to express their emotions, yet in the meat industry, they’re treated as unfeeling objects, crammed into filthy sheds, and slaughtered, often while they’re still conscious,” Newkirk said Monday. “PETA’s ‘Hell on Wheels’ truck is sending a strong signal that it’s beneath the Oval Office to shill for the meat industry and appealing to the public to please give birds a break by choosing vegan this Thanksgiving and beyond.” The history of the presidential turkey pardon is a little murky, with some believing it first began when President Abraham Lincoln granted “clemency” to a turkey in 1863. Others have suggested the tradition began much later with President Harry S. Truman. Meanwhile, according to NPR, the turkey pardoning tradition was formalized in 1989 by President George H.W. Bush.

Trump urges Florida Republican to mount congressional bid: ‘RUN, RANDY, RUN!’

Trump urges Florida Republican to mount congressional bid: ‘RUN, RANDY, RUN!’

President-elect Donald Trump urged Florida state Sen. Randy Fine to run for Congress, pledging to endorse the Sunshine State lawmaker if he opts to throw his hat into the ring. “I am hearing that America First Patriot Randy Fine is considering launching his Campaign for Congress in Florida’s 6th Congressional District!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.  “Should he decide to enter this Race, Randy Fine has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, RANDY, RUN!” Trump urged. FLORIDA STATE REP FILES BILL TO ELIMINATE DISNEY’S SELF-GOVERNING POWER In a post on X, Fine shared a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post and said it would be an honor to help him carry out his agenda. “Mr. President, G-d saved you on that day in Butler so that you could save the world. It would be the honor of my life to be one of your footsoldiers. Your confidence is overwhelming and I will have news to share soon!” Fine posted. FLORIDA IMAM AND DENTIST CALLS FOR ‘ANNIHILATION’ OF JEWS, SAYS ISRAELI MILITARY ‘WORSE THAN THE NAZIS’ Earlier this month, Trump tapped another Floridian, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., to serve as national security adviser. Waltz just won re-election to Congress this month. After he resigns from Congress to take on his new role in the Trump administration, there will be a special election held to fill the vacancy. TRUMP CONFIRMS MIKE WALTZ AS NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER PICK Fine won election to the Florida state Senate this month after previously serving in the state House of Representatives.

Orris Group: Legacy of over 18 years in Delhi-NCR’s real estate

Orris Group: Legacy of over 18 years in Delhi-NCR’s real estate

For over 18 years, Orris Group has been a formidable force in the real estate sector. During these years, Orris has established itself as one of the leading developers in Delhi NCR, carving its name based on innovation, customer satisfaction, and futuristic approach.