Work

The Power of Valence: How News Media Shape Attitudes Toward Transgender and Gender Diverse People

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Media representations of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people have become more frequent and have the potential to influence how readers feel and think about them. Across two experimental studies, we tested how news articles featuring positive, negative, and neutral representations of TGD people and issues influence the attitudes of cisgender people toward TGD people. Study 1 ( N = 730; between‐participants) revealed an indirect effect of the articles' valence on cognitive attitudes through the mediation of feelings: an article with positive valence increased positive feelings, which in turn increased positive cognitive attitudes toward TGD people. Study 2 ( N = 387; mixed between‐ and within‐participants) showed that an article with negative valence directly worsened cognitive and affective attitudes toward TGD people compared to baseline attitudes (measured 1 week before). Stronger positive feelings were linked to more positive cognitive, behavioural, and affective attitudes, while stronger negative feelings were linked to more negative affective attitudes. However, emotional responses varied according to participants' pre‐existing attitudes. These results highlight the importance of valence in news media representations of TGD people by documenting how feelings elicited upon reading articles can influence attitudes toward them.

Source: Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology

DOI: 10.1002/casp.70218

Authors: Sofia E. Bracco, Sabine Sczesny, Marie Gustafsson Sendén

Institutions: Stockholm University, University of Bern

Language: English

Topic: LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,520

Funders: European Commission, Stiftelsen Lars Hiertas Minne, H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions