Biographical writing can foster empathy and reduce prejudice in diverse user groups.
Engaging users in biographical writing can cultivate greater empathy and more positive attitudes towards individuals from different ethnic and religious backgrounds.
European Journal of Educational Research · 2021
Key Findings
- 01Average scores for student empathy increased.
- 02Average scores for positive attitudes towards ethnic differences increased.
- 03Average scores for positive attitudes towards religious differences increased.
- 04The magnitude of increase varied across schools, with most experiencing medium and low increases.
Application
Design takeaway
Consider how design can facilitate user engagement with diverse perspectives through narrative and personal reflection to build empathy.
How to apply
When designing for diverse user groups, consider incorporating features that encourage users to share and understand personal stories from different backgrounds.
Project actions
- 01When researching users, explore methods that encourage them to share personal stories.
- 02Consider how your design can facilitate empathy between different user groups.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Involves a substantial sample size.
- +Employs a structured R&D approach with pre- and post-testing.
Limitations
The impact might be less pronounced in adults or in contexts outside of formal education. The 'biographical writing' intervention itself might be a confounding factor.
Reliability & validity
The use of pre- and post-tests with a control group (implied by comparing changes across schools) would enhance reliability. Validity would depend on the appropriateness of the measures for empathy and attitudes.
Think critically
To what extent can a design intervention truly overcome deeply ingrained prejudices, and what are the ethical considerations of attempting to influence user attitudes?
Design Principles
"Empathy-building through narrative engagement."
Understanding and addressing user prejudice is crucial for creating inclusive and equitable products and services. Design interventions that promote empathy can lead to more socially responsible and widely accepted solutions.
What This Means for Your Design
Writing about people's lives can help you understand and be nicer to people who are different from you.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the importance of user empathy in your design process.
- 2.Refer to this study when discussing how user research can uncover and address social biases.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
(2021). Learning of Biographical Writing for Coping with Ethnic Prejudice in a Culturally Diverse Society. European Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.12973/eu-jer.11.1.511 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/8c1d6ba5-b01b-48c0-9863-d678df5582b6/biographical-writing-can-foster-empathy-and-reduce-prejudice-in-diverse-user-groups
Paragraph starter
This study by Thoyibi et al. (2021) suggests that engaging users in biographical writing can be an effective method for fostering empathy and positive attitudes towards diverse ethnic and religious groups. This highlights the potential for design interventions that leverage narrative to bridge intergroup divides, a consideration relevant to developing inclusive user experiences.
Source
European Journal of Educational Research
Learning of Biographical Writing for Coping with Ethnic Prejudice in a Culturally Diverse Society
journal · 2021
View sourceQuestions about this research
- What does the research say about biographical writing can foster empathy and reduce prejudice in diverse user groups?
- Consider how design can facilitate user engagement with diverse perspectives through narrative and personal reflection to build empathy. Evidence: European Journal of Educational Research (2021).
- Why does "Biographical writing can foster empathy and reduce prejudice in diverse user groups." matter for design?
- Understanding and addressing user prejudice is crucial for creating inclusive and equitable products and services. Design interventions that promote empathy can lead to more socially responsible and widely accepted solutions.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Consider how design can facilitate user engagement with diverse perspectives through narrative and personal reflection to build empathy.
- What were the main findings?
- Average scores for student empathy increased.. Average scores for positive attitudes towards ethnic differences increased.. Average scores for positive attitudes towards religious differences increased.. The magnitude of increase varied across schools, with most experiencing medium and low increases.
- What research method was used?
- Research and Development (R&D) approach with a pretest-posttest design. with 200 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2021 journal from European Journal of Educational Research.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing for diverse user groups, consider incorporating features that encourage users to share and understand personal stories from different backgrounds.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focused on a specific age group and educational context, and the observed increases in positive attitudes were often moderate.
- Is there evidence that biographical writing affects design outcomes?
- Students who engaged in biographical writing showed improvements in empathy and positive attitudes towards ethnic and religious diversity, though the impact was moderate. Understanding and addressing user prejudice is crucial for creating inclusive and equitable products and services. Design interventions that promote Source: European Journal of Educational Research (2021).
- Where does this empathy research apply?
- Educational setting, focusing on intergroup relations. It sits within user-centred design research on designdex.org.
Related research topics
biographical writing design research · evidence on biographical writing · does biographical writing improve design outcomes · empathy studies for designers · biographical writing and empathy findings · user-centred design research evidence