About

John Dovidio is the Carl I. Hovland Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Professor Emeritus in the Institute for Social and Policy Studies and of Epidemiology at Yale University. His work centers around issues of social power and social relations, both between groups and between individuals. He explores both conscious (explicit) and unconscious (implicit) influences on how people think about, feel about, and behave toward others based on group membership. Dr. Dovidio continues to conduct research on aversive racism, a contemporary subtle form of prejudice, and on techniques for reducing conscious and unconscious biases. His research further investigates how the bias of health care providers and perceptions by members of traditionally disadvantaged groups of being stigmatized affect medical interactions, decisions, and outcomes. His latest book is 'Unequal Health: Anti-Black Racism and the Threat to America's Health,' published by Cambridge University Press in September 2023.

Research topics

• Geography

Selected publications

• Dressing windows versus generating change

  University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  Publisher

• Seeking or receiving help: Implications for recipient sense of control, evaluations of the helper and of the helper’s group

  Group Processes & Intergroup Relations · 2026-03-11

  articleOpen access

  The goal of the present research was to expand on previous work on the dynamics of intergroup helping. Specifically, the present research investigated the responses of Israeli-Arab high school students (Study 1) and Israeli-Arab adults (Study 2) to a scenario in which an Israeli-Arab person receives assistance from an Israeli-Jewish individual. In Study 2, these responses were also compared to assistance from an ingroup member (i.e., an Israeli-Arab individual). In two studies, Israeli-Arab participants learned about a situation in which an Israeli-Arab person receives assistance from an Israeli-Jewish individual. The context of help, with the assistance given either assumptively or in response to a request, and the type of help, either dependency-oriented or autonomy-oriented, were independently varied. In Study 2, conditions in which the helper was an Israeli-Arab individual were also included. Across both studies, context and type of help influenced responses to the outgroup helper (interactively in Study 1 and additively in Study 2) with assumptive, dependency-oriented assistance eliciting the most negative evaluations of the helper. These effects did not occur when, in Study 2, the helper was an ingroup member. For adults (Study 2), perceptions that outgroup assistance weakened the recipient’s sense of control mediated more negative evaluations of the outgroup helper. For both adults and high school students, evaluations of the Israeli-Jewish helper mediated evaluations of Israeli-Jewish people in general. Limitations and implications of the research are considered.

  PublisherDOI

• All-Male Research Samples Can Discourage Accurate Science Communication

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Indirect Influence of Prejudice: How and Why People Accommodate the Prejudices of Others

  Social and Personality Psychology Compass · 2025-04-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  ABSTRACT Research on social discrimination has traditionally focused on the direct influence of individuals' prejudice on their behavior toward members of minoritized groups. In this review, we highlight recent theory and research findings on the indirect influence of prejudice, which can produce discriminatory outcomes, even among low‐prejudiced people, to accommodate the prejudices of others. Key to this process of prejudice accommodation is instrumental goals, which often derive from formal organizational roles. To illustrate the dynamics of prejudice accommodation, we focus on the context of hiring decisions with the potential to produce gender employment discrimination. When organizations focus on person‐environment or cultural fit, personnel decisions become interdependent with the attitudes of relevant constituents, promoting the accommodation of those attitudes to fulfill instrumental goals. We discuss evidence for the centrality of instrumental goals associated with cultural fit among hiring professionals, and recent research connecting those instrumental goals to prejudice accommodation in hiring decisions that produce gender discrimination. We also review evidence suggesting that instrumental goals (rather than personal attitudes) underlie prejudice accommodation, creating a conundrum for decision‐makers low in prejudice and/or highly motivated to respond in unprejudiced ways. In closing, we provide practical recommendations to counter the indirect influence of prejudice in hiring, including reframing decision‐makers’ goals to foster independence and educating people about the consequences of prejudice accommodation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Mixed methods pilot evaluation of a gender-sensitivity training for HIV care providers in Uganda: Effects on providers and clients

  PLOS Global Public Health · 2025-09-18

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  In sub-Saharan Africa, gender norms shape women's and men's barriers to HIV care engagement, and influence providers' behaviors. Interventions are needed to build providers' capacity for delivering gender-sensitive HIV care. We pilot tested a gender-sensitivity training for HIV care providers and staff in Uganda. Using a quasi-experimental controlled trial (2022-23), we assessed a 4-session intervention, developed by the study team, focused on: gender norms; skills to address HIV care barriers, stigma, and gender-based violence; gender bias recognition/reduction; and client-centered communication. Six clinics were matched (e.g., size, services) and randomly allocated to training intervention or standard-of-care. We enrolled 144 HIV care providers (61 intervention, 83 control) and a cohort of 238 clients with HIV, newly initiated on ART or struggling with adherence (119 per arm). Participants completed structured questionnaires at baseline, 6- and 12-months, and training providers participated in an exit focus group or interview (n = 53). We tested intervention effects using generalized linear models and thematically analyzed qualitative data. Intervention providers reported increased gender-sensitive care competence compared to the control group (Wald χ² = 20.94, p < 0.001), supported by qualitative reports of greater gender-related knowledge, perceived importance of gender-sensitive care, and skill development. They also reported increased empathy towards clients (B = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.00-0.33, p = 0.04) and use of stress regulation techniques (B = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.13-0.72, p = 0.005). Qualitative data indicated positive effects on client-centered practices (e.g., rapport-building, empathy, eliciting client agendas) and reduced gender bias. No treatment effects were observed in ART adherence or perceived care quality, but clients at intervention clinics reported greater stigma reduction (Wald χ² = 18.72, p < 0.001). This study suggests gender-sensitivity training may improve provider practice and reduce stigma, supporting further testing.

  PublisherDOI

• A web-based intervention to reduce stigma in weight loss counseling

  Patient Education and Counseling · 2025-07-15

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  PublisherDOI

• The Implications of HIV Biomedical Prevention for Perceived HIV Risk and Psychosexual Health among Sexual Minority Men in the United States

  Archives of Sexual Behavior · 2025-07-01

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  PublisherDOI

• <i>Connecting With Others</i>: Diversity Training Shapes Egalitarian Orientations

  Journal of Social Issues · 2025-08-18 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  ABSTRACT Despite considerable resources invested in diversity training, there has been a paucity of studies that examine the enduring impact of diversity training. The current study was conducted in a workplace setting and is a quasi‐experimental empirical evaluation of a widely used diversity training program that includes a daylong workshop and 8 weeks of structured interracial interactions. We examined the effects of this program on diversity‐relevant outcomes—motivational, ideological, and attitudinal—over 2 months later. Although the program features content and assigns activities intended to reduce social biases in general, this examination focuses on biases toward Black Americans. In a pre‐test/post‐test analysis of employees who participated in training, we found that participants reported a significantly lower social dominance orientation (SDO) and significantly more motivation to be nonprejudiced 2 months after the training compared to before. Converging results were observed such that employees who participated in the training program exhibited significantly lower SDO and exhibited marginally higher internal motivation to respond without prejudice compared to employees in a control group who did not participate. No differences were observed for explicit attitudes, implicit bias, or right‐wing authoritarianism (RWA). The current study thus documents that diversity interventions administered in “real‐world” contexts can have a relatively long‐term impact on egalitarian orientations. The research also highlights the need for further investigation of how specific elements of the program (e.g., the training itself, the nature, and duration of interracial contact exercises), and the way they are implemented, may or may not affect different outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Reciprocal escalation of violent extremism: Experimental and longitudinal evidence from Denmark

  PNAS Nexus · 2025-10-22 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Recent surges in intergroup conflict across racial, religious, and national lines highlight how mutual perceptions of threat can lead to escalating cycles of hostility. These cycles are believed to be driven by interconnected psychological, sociopolitical, and cultural mechanisms, with each group responding aggressively to perceived hostility from the other. Yet, systematic exploration of the psychological mechanisms behind reciprocally escalating violence and negativity remains limited. This research uniquely integrates experimental and longitudinal methodologies to provide novel, causal insights into these dynamics by being the first to demonstrate reciprocal violent intentions over time between majority and minority groups. This research uniquely integrates experimental and longitudinal methodologies to provide novel, causal insights into these dynamics. Using intergroup tensions in Denmark as a case in point, we investigated escalating reciprocal violent intentions between members of a majority group and a marginalized minority. In wave 1, experiments 1A and 2A showed that both groups expressed stronger endorsement of violent extremism against the other group when they perceived hostility from that group. In wave 2, experiments 1B and 2B provided evidence of a stronger effect and a reciprocal dynamic, demonstrating how intergroup conflict can escalate in tandem toward mutual hostility.

  PublisherDOI

• Acceptability, feasibility, and factors affecting implementation of a gender-sensitivity training for HIV providers and staff in Uganda: a mixed methods, quasi-experimental controlled pilot trial

  BMC Public Health · 2025-05-24 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Health workers play a critical role in providing gender-sensitive HIV care. However, without adequate training, they may inadvertently reinforce negative gender norms that hinder engagement in care. To improve ART services in sub-Saharan Africa, effective implementation strategies, including trainings, are essential. METHODS: This study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a novel 4-session, gender-sensitivity training for HIV health and lay workers in rural and peri-urban Uganda. We conducted a pilot quasi-experimental controlled trial in 2022-23, utilizing data from three sources: process data from 144 providers and 238 clients, qualitative post-intervention focus groups and interviews with 53 training attendees, and stakeholder interviews with 12 community leaders and facilitators. We employed thematic analysis guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). RESULTS: The training was highly rated by attendees via brief post-session surveys, with 99% of sessions deemed satisfactory. Qualitative feedback indicated that the sessions were perceived as appropriate for addressing providers' gaps in delivering gender-sensitive care and as beneficial for participants. High feasibility was evidenced by 100% of intervention steps delivered (fidelity checklists), 86% attendance (attendance logs), and 98.6% and 94.8% recruitment of eligible providers and clients (study records), respectively. Through qualitative exit focus groups, factors that positively affected acceptability and feasibility included tactics to gain support from supervisors, the use of experienced facilitators and active learning approaches, and the consideration of the health system context in delivery (e.g., cadre mix, location). Suggested improvements encompassed addressing interpersonal and structural barriers to client-centered care, incorporating community sensitization, streamlining content, and enhancing mentorship follow-ups. Stakeholders recognized the training's alignment with national health priorities and emphasized the need for clarity regarding its integration with existing training curricula and ongoing stakeholder engagement. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the acceptability and feasibility of a gender-sensitivity training program for HIV providers; further evaluation of the program is warranted. Identified factors influencing implementation can inform enhancements to gender-focused training initiatives to improve the quality of HIV services and enhance client engagement and health outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT05178979, registered: November 15, 2021.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Improving Retention and Facilitating Career Reentry for Women Scientists with a Consortium of Universities

  NSF · $374k · 2013–2019

• Gateway Groups and Intergroup Relations

  NSF · $436k · 2018–2023

Frequent coauthors

• Samuel L. Gaertner

  140 shared

• Michelle van Ryn

  130 shared

• Sara E. Burke

  Syracuse University

  127 shared

• Sean M. Phelan

  Mayo Clinic in Florida

  127 shared

• Sylvia Perry

  University of Vermont

  118 shared

• Diana J. Burgess

  University of Minnesota

  115 shared

• Rachel R. Hardeman

  University of Minnesota

  115 shared

• Mark W. Yeazel

  University of Minnesota Medical Center

  106 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Psychology

  University of Delaware

  1977