Short answer
Consider the underlying motivations and potential instrumental drivers behind the adoption or rejection of design features or products that relate to social values.
- Field
- Classic Design
- Source
- American Political Science Review (2023)
- Method
- Experimental research
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Hostility towards immigrant groups can paradoxically lead to increased, albeit instrumental, support for LGBT+ rights among nativist individuals. This classic design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in American Political Science Review. Using Experimental research, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Consider the underlying motivations and potential instrumental drivers behind the adoption or rejection of design features or products that relate to social values.
Nativist Sentiment Can Drive Instrumental Support for LGBT+ Inclusion
Hostility towards immigrant groups can paradoxically lead to increased, albeit instrumental, support for LGBT+ rights among nativist individuals.
American Political Science Review · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Exposure to sexually conservative ethnic out-groups can lead nativist citizens to strategically liberalize their support for LGBT+ rights.
- 02This increase in support is instrumental, serving to socially disidentify from out-groups perceived as threatening national norms.
Application
Design takeaway
Consider the underlying motivations and potential instrumental drivers behind the adoption or rejection of design features or products that relate to social values.
How to apply
When designing for social inclusion or promoting products associated with progressive values, consider how these might be perceived and utilized by different social groups with varying motivations.
Project actions
- 01When researching user attitudes, probe beyond surface-level responses to understand the 'why' behind their opinions.
- 02Consider how your design project might be perceived or co-opted by different social or political groups.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Utilizes experimental design to establish causal links.
- +Investigates a counter-intuitive but significant socio-political phenomenon.
Limitations
The experimental nature might not fully capture real-world complexities of long-term attitude change. The focus is on instrumental motivations, potentially overlooking genuine shifts in acceptance.
Reliability & validity
The use of experimental controls and replication across two countries strengthens the internal validity. External validity might be limited to specific socio-political contexts.
Think critically
To what extent does instrumental support for design trends or social values reflect a genuine shift in societal norms versus a temporary, context-dependent phenomenon?
Design Principles
"Design acceptance can be influenced by social identity and intergroup dynamics, leading to instrumental adoption rather than intrinsic value alignment."
This research challenges the assumption that growing LGBT+ acceptance is always driven by genuine shifts in social values. It highlights how political and social dynamics can lead to 'instrumental liberalism,' where support for certain rights is adopted not out of conviction, but as a means to differentiate from or oppose perceived out-groups.
What This Means for Your Design
Sometimes people say they support something, like LGBT+ rights, not because they really believe in it, but to show they are different from or don't like another group they are arguing with.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing user research findings that reveal complex or potentially instrumental motivations behind user choices or attitudes related to social issues.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that support for social values, such as LGBT+ inclusion, can be instrumental, driven by a desire to differentiate from perceived out-groups rather than genuine belief. This suggests that designers should be cautious in assuming that expressed support for certain design features or social stances reflects deep-seated values, as external socio-political dynamics can heavily influence user attitudes.
Source
American Political Science Review
<i>Instrumentally</i> Inclusive: The Political Psychology of Homonationalism
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about nativist sentiment can drive instrumental support for lgbt+ inclusion?
- Consider the underlying motivations and potential instrumental drivers behind the adoption or rejection of design features or products that relate to social values. Evidence: American Political Science Review (2023).
- Why does "Nativist Sentiment Can Drive Instrumental Support for LGBT+ Inclusion" matter for design?
- This research challenges the assumption that growing LGBT+ acceptance is always driven by genuine shifts in social values. It highlights how political and social dynamics can lead to 'instrumental liberalism,' where support for certain rights is adopted not out of conviction, but as a means to differentiate from or oppose perceived out-groups.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Consider the underlying motivations and potential instrumental drivers behind the adoption or rejection of design features or products that relate to social values.
- What were the main findings?
- Exposure to sexually conservative ethnic out-groups can lead nativist citizens to strategically liberalize their support for LGBT+ rights.. This increase in support is instrumental, serving to socially disidentify from out-groups perceived as threatening national norms.
- What research method was used?
- Experimental research.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from American Political Science Review.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing for social inclusion or promoting products associated with progressive values, consider how these might be perceived and utilized by different social groups with varying motivations.
- What are the limitations?
- The study focuses on instrumental liberalism, suggesting that genuine shifts in LGBT+ inclusion may be lower than reported support indicates. The findings are specific to contexts where sexuality-based liberalism is nationalized.