Since 2005, the NCAA has required colleges and universities to reflect upon, and if necessary, change sports team mascots that feature depictions of Native-Americans. Now a team of psychology researchers have published an investigation about support for such mascots among different groups of people. The set of studies includes both correlational and experimental designs, including one testing whether the mascots can affect people's donations to the universities.
The lead researcher, Dr. Michael Kraus, told a journalist what led to his interest in the research question.
“I was at the University of Illinois at the time, and despite their Native American mascot being officially discontinued in 2007, it was surprising to see the mascot on campus in 2013. The continued presence said something about the norms on campus, and what kinds of students feel safe and welcome there,” Kraus said.
The journalist summarized two studies conducted by Kraus and his team. Here's the first:
In a survey of 201 students, the researchers found that those with lower levels of explicit prejudice toward Native Americans reported lower levels of belonging at the University of Illinois.
In other words, students who disagreed with statements such as “It is now unnecessary for the U.S. government to honor their treaty obligations to Native tribes” also tended to disagree with statements such as “I identify with the university” and “I show school spirit regularly.”
In addition, students with higher levels of explicit prejudice, as well as white students, were more likely to have positive views of the retired “Chief” mascot.
Questions
a) This is a bivariate correlational study. What are its two main variables?
b) The journalist gives some clues about how each of these two variables was measured. What kinds of measurements were used--self-report? physiological? observational? What do you think of the items?
c) Sketch a scatterplot of the results that are described. Label your axes carefully.
d) Can this study support the causal claim? Why or why not? (Apply the three causal criteria; when you come to internal validity, specify at least one third variable that might be associated with both measured variables.)
The empirical article contains several studies on this topic. One of them tested the impact of the University of Illinois' retired mascot, Fighting Illini, on donations to the school.
The experiments showed that stereotypic Native American imagery “reduced actual donations to the institution by 5.5%, and was particularly likely to decrease (increase) donations among those low (high) in prejudice,” the researchers wrote.
In the study, researchers had online participants read about different universities, one of which was the University of Illinois. Some participants were randomly assigned to see the Native American mascot, Chief Illini, next to the school name, while some did not. Then participants had the chance to distribute $2 in donations to the four universities. When people had been exposed to the Native American mascot, donations to the University of Illinois decreased.
But like all research, the study includes some caveats. “Probably the biggest one is that we really only studied these dynamics at the University of Illinois, but we expect these norms to operate similarly everywhere. Someone, maybe us, needs to do that additional work,” Kraus said.
More Questions
e) Is the donation study an experiment or a correlational study? What are its two main variables?
f) When Kraus states that "we expect these norms to operate similarly everywhere," to which of the four big validities is he referring?
You can access the empirical research here.
Instructors: The complete package of studies is a complete set with a frequency claim (via an observational study of mascot use on campus) , a correlational study, and an experimental study.
Interested students might learn from Dr. Stephanie Fryberg's work, showing how American Indian high school students respond to being reminded of professional sports mascots that feature American Indians.
