Search

We examine two competing hypotheses about how individual differences in fear of Covid‐19 influence attitudes toward nurses, hospital janitors and garbage collectors. On one hand, fear of Covid‐19 can predict less warmth toward nurses because fear may lead to avoidance and contempt. On the other hand, fear of Covid‐19 can predict greater warmth toward nurses because greater fear of Covid‐19 could alternatively imply greater cognizance of the contribution that nurses make, and the risk they undertake. Also, we hypothesize that fear of Covid‐19 does not predict greater warmth toward hospital janitors or garbage collectors. Findings of two studies (cross‐sectional and longitudinal) generally showed that increased fear of Covid‐19 (mainly on the psychological dimension) predicted greater warmth toward nurses, but not toward hospital janitors and garbage collectors. In the pandemic context, it appears that healthcare workers directly involved in patient care are not so much stigmatized, as appreciated, for their risk and contribution. However, other essential workers that are not involved in direct patient care appear less valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People generally attribute less mind to groups than to individuals. Previous research has also shown differences of mind perception between different types of groups, such that not‐for‐profit organizations were viewed as having more minds than for‐profit organizations. In this paper, we ascertained this mind perception differences and further examined its underlying mechanisms and concomitant consequences. Across three studies, we replicated that people attributed more mind to not‐for‐profit organizations than to for‐profit organizations. More critically, the current research linked mind perception to stereotype content model and added that this effect was mainly explained by perceived warmth of the groups rather than perceived competence. We found that although not‐for‐profit organizations were perceived as warmer but less competent than for‐profit ones, the former was perceived both as having more experiential and agentic mental capacities than the latter. In addition, for‐profit organizations received less compassionate responding than not‐for‐profit ones when they suffer, which was attributable to mind perception. This paper highlights the distinction between experience and warmth, and between agency and competence, thus extending our theoretical understanding of the fundamental dimensions of mind perception and those of the stereotype content of groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]