Mentor/s
Kathryn M. Kroeper
Participation Type
Poster
Abstract
When people encounter prejudiced comments about marginalized social groups, many feel compelled to confront them. In this study, we aim to better understand two confrontation approaches: “call-ins” and “call-outs." Call-ins are educational conversations aimed at explaining why a comment or behavior is offensive, while call-outs call attention to offensive comments or behaviors, often to provoke guilt or shame. Despite a growing emphasis on “calling people in” over “calling them out,” little research has examined how these approaches are perceived and experienced. In the present study, a sample of college students (N = 600) imagined that a friend made an offensive comment about a marginalized social group. They then generated both a call-in and a call-out response and evaluated the two approaches. Overall, people favored call-ins over call-outs, rating them as more respectful, comfortable, and autonomy-supportive, as well as less damaging to their friendship. Nevertheless, future research should examine whether offenders interpret confrontation methods as intended and whether call-ins are indeed more effective at prompting reflection and reducing offensive language.
College and Major available
Psychology BS
Academic Level
Undergraduate student
Location
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
Start Day/Time
4-25-2025 12:00 PM
End Day/Time
4-25-2025 2:00 PM
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.
Prize Categories
Most Scholarly Impact or Potential, Most Transformative for Social Justice, Best Visuals
Should we be ‘Calling-in’ or ‘Calling-out’? Student Perspectives on Bias Intervention Strategies
Digital Commons & West Campus West Building University Commons
When people encounter prejudiced comments about marginalized social groups, many feel compelled to confront them. In this study, we aim to better understand two confrontation approaches: “call-ins” and “call-outs." Call-ins are educational conversations aimed at explaining why a comment or behavior is offensive, while call-outs call attention to offensive comments or behaviors, often to provoke guilt or shame. Despite a growing emphasis on “calling people in” over “calling them out,” little research has examined how these approaches are perceived and experienced. In the present study, a sample of college students (N = 600) imagined that a friend made an offensive comment about a marginalized social group. They then generated both a call-in and a call-out response and evaluated the two approaches. Overall, people favored call-ins over call-outs, rating them as more respectful, comfortable, and autonomy-supportive, as well as less damaging to their friendship. Nevertheless, future research should examine whether offenders interpret confrontation methods as intended and whether call-ins are indeed more effective at prompting reflection and reducing offensive language.
Students' Information
Ava Bjelka, Psychology, 2025
Raegan Doyle, Psychology, 2025
Christina Poirier, Psychology, 2025
Honorable Mention, Most Transformative for Social Justice 2025 Award