Media's Influence on Perceptions of Trans Women (2016)

Undergraduate: Haley Solomon

Faculty Advisor: Beth Kurtz-Costes
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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Although media representations of Trans women are becoming increasingly more common, many real Trans women still face discrimination in their daily lives, in part due to prejudices and stereotypes that are still perpetuated by media. This study investigated how different representations of Trans women in media influence people's attitudes toward real Trans women. After providing information about their baseline attitudes toward Trans women, participants watched either two positive, two negative, or two problematic depictions of Trans women from a film or television show. After watching the clips, participants' attitudes toward Trans women were reassessed. The difference in pre- and posttest scores approached significance, and there were also significant differences in pretest scores across several demographic groups. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to recent media attention concerning Trans women.