“Putting myself in their shoes”: Ethnic perspective taking explains liberal-conservative differences in prejudice and stereotyping

This research investigates the role of ethnic perspective taking in explaining ideological differences in the expression of prejudice and endorsement of stereotypes. Two hundred sixty-four participants completed measures of political ideology, ethnic perspective taking, ethnic prejudice, and stereotype endorsement. As hypothesized, liberals were less likely than conservatives to express prejudice and endorse stereotypes, and they were more likely than conservatives to report taking the perspective of racial/ethnic outgroups. Structural equation modeling and mediation analyses suggest that ethnic perspective taking partially mediated the relationship between political ideology and prejudice and stereotyping. Additional findings and implications for the ideological boundaries of perspective taking are discussed.