Superman To The Rescue Article Analysis

In the article Superman to the Rescue: Simulating Physical Invulnerability Attenuates Exclusion-Related Interpersonal Biases (Ackerman, Bargh, & Huan, 2013) Julie Huan, Joshua Ackerman, and John Bargh set up a number of studies including a pre-test, study one, study two, and study three to demonstrate the relation between physical invulnerability simulation and positive or negative reactions to being excluded in social situations. They also consider how the reactions of exclusion can change when interrupted by superhero fantasies. An emphasis is placed on the idea that these people do not believe they have superpowers, instead they just imagine them. Overall, the study serves to find if simulating the idea of physical invulnerability can lessen …show more content…
The three groups had different superpowers which were flying, physical invulnerability, and resistant to pain. It is important to note that those with physical invulnerability could not feel pain, but could be injured where as those resistant to pain could not feel pain, but could be injured. For the first part of this study the participants were asked to think back on a time where they had been excluded from a social situation. This was used to elicit exclusion related feelings and has previously been used in a study entitled Getting a Cue: The Need to Belong and Enhanced Sensitivity to Social Cues conducted by Cynthia Pickett, Wendi Gardner, Megan Knowles Next, after being split into one of the three groups, each participant completed a guided visualization task after which they were asked to rank their positivity toward certain groups such as obese, Muslims, crack addicts, disabled people, and Christian fundamentalists. These feelings were ranked on a feelings thermometer that ranged from one-hundred being extremely hot or favorable to zero, which was extremely cold or …show more content…
Every day, we are excluded in social interactions. Whether this be in work projects, study groups, or group activities that take place without your knowledge. However, while this is prevalent and shown in the data presented, what I find most interesting are the results of study one. These results show that physical invulnerability makes people respond less negatively towards certain stigmatized groups. An example of this that is found in relevant society is that of our current political candidates for president, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Both candidates have been known to be discriminatory towards certain groups of people. For Trump, his discrimination is toward Mexicans and other immigrants and for Hillary, her discrimination has been directed towards blacks and is directed towards men. Based on the evidence presented in the study, it could be said that Clinton and Trump act in this manner because they are physically vulnerable to those around them as they are public figures that have invited the world in to judge