Between the Mind and the Heart: The Threat and Challenge of a Changing Society

Abstract

This dissertation explores how advantaged group members perceive, react to, and communicate about issues of social change, using a psychophysiological, multi-method approach. By combining self-reported data with physiological measures, the current research reveals not only what people explicitly think and feel, but also the underlying ‘live’ bodily responses indicative of deeper motivations. Three key findings emerge. First, even members of advantaged groups may appear supportive of societal change toward increased social equality in theory, but simultaneously they may show limited engagement in terms of concrete actions or personal goals. Second, when engaging with diverse conversation partners, stereotypes emerge when discussing social change issues. Despite reporting to be open to such discussions through self-reports, advantaged individuals—such as men—exhibited physiological signs of threat when preparing to engage with conservative peers. Third, anticipatory threats, such as concerns about group identity or moral standing, arise in intergroup communication around sensitive social issues. However, respectful, face-to-face interactions made it possible to reduce these tensions. Overall, this dissertation uncovers the psychological and physiological barriers that explain why social change remains difficult and uncomfortable, even among those with seemingly good intentions. It highlights how a mixed methodological approach contributes to a better understanding of these processes by moving beyond surface-level self-presentation concerns to reveal deeper, often unspoken, drivers of resistance. This analysis has valuable implications for practice, such as shaping interventions around specific sources of threat and around providing advantaged group members with concrete skills and resources to engage in conversations about social change.