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Focusing on Behavior Change

There are practical reasons to focus training on changing discriminatory behavior. According to Social Learning theory, behavior change happens through watching the behavior of others. We learn new cues for established behaviors, new behaviors themselves, or consequences that follow from a behavior. In Cognitive Dissonance theory, unpleasant tension motivates change, which is easier for private attitude than public behavior already enacted or supported by other motivations. Self-perception theory makes the same predictions for prejudice reduction, but without relying on the concept of cognitive dissonance to explain the results. Attitude is merely an inference drawn from observation of one’s own behavior. These theories have several implications for the diversity professional. When employees see managers or respected peers behaving inclusively toward members of underrepresented groups, they are likely to behave that way as well. To encourage positive attitudes toward others, we should use barely enough influence to get the person to act as if that were their own attitude, preferably publicly. Opportunities for cross-group interaction should be voluntary but expected, rather than required. However, in some circumstances it may be appropriate to require behavior; legal or safety requirements are two examples. For diversity professionals, this work implies that someone induced to interact with other-group members may be motivated to do a good job and thus seek out positive aspects and new information about others. Over time, attitudes toward other-group members may change in a positive direction as new relationships are learned and reinforced. We should expect changed attitudes as a result of changed behavior, not as a requirement for it. In work settings, employees’ behavior is more critical than their thoughts or feelings.