Perceptual Discrimination Research Articles

You Can Make it Too Easy: Simulating Easy-To-Hard Effects in Auditory Perceptual Learning with an Unsupervised Neural Network Model of Plasticity

ABSTRACT The easy-to-hard effect is a phenomenon where training on initially easy perceptual discrimination contrasts before introducing hard contrasts yields greater perceptual learning than training with hard contrasts for the same amount of time. However, easy-to-hard effects can be erased if initial easy trials are made too easy. Here, we show that this seemingly paradoxical result naturally emerges out of an artificial neural network model of perceptual learning based on the incremental differentiation of stimulus representations: the self-organizing map (SOM). Like human listeners, networks show a sweet spot for easy-to-hard effects at intermediate levels of easy contrast somewhere between too easy and too hard. This trend is apparent across a wide range of free parameters. Analysis of network learning dynamics shows that easy-to-hard effects manifest when competition for network representational space is reduced (relative to constant hard training), but the learned stimuli are still similar enough to hard contrast stimuli to allow generalization. The data show that an incremental perceptual learning model can account for subtle characteristics of easy-to-hard effects where learning theories grounded in attentional discovery of relevant features cannot. We suggest several avenues for further development of the model in order to account for a wider range of auditory learning phenomena, its use in the optimization of auditory training regimens, and its role in elucidating perceptual learning mechanisms.

문화예술전공 중국인 유학생이 인식하는 경제적 어려움이 생활만족에 미치는 영향: 차별인식의 조절효과

This study explores the causal relationship between economic difficulties perceived by international students and their life satisfaction, and investigates whether discrimination perception, as a social factor, moderates this relationship. A survey was conducted among Chinese international students majoring in Arts and Culture at universities in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Chungcheong, and the responses of 160 students were analyzed using the SPSS 22.0 statistical program. The results of the study are as follows: First, a positive correlation was found between economic difficulties and discrimination perception among international students, while negative correlations were observed between economic difficulties and life satisfaction, and between discrimination perception and life satisfaction. Second, economic difficulties experienced by international students significantly negatively affected their life satisfaction. Third, discrimination perception had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between economic difficulties and life satisfaction. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested to develop practical measures to provide economic support to international students and prioritize the improvement of discrimination against foreigners. Additionally, it is recommended to implement regular education to raise awareness of students' rights and to use various assessment tools to measure the status of international students, providing appropriate support based on these findings.

Barriers for pregnancy and perceptions of gender discrimination of urologists in training in France: Results of a national survey

IntroductionGender discrimination seems more prevalent in surgery than other medical specialties. In addition, female urologists are more likely to have obstetric complications and to be discouraged from starting a family during training. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of perceived gender discrimination and barriers for pregnancy during fellowship, among French urology residents and fellows. Material and methodsThe French Association of Urologists in Training performed a national online survey between August and September 2022. Participants were assured that their participation was anonymous. Respondents were questioned on demographics, gender discrimination and on pregnancy barriers during fellowship. ResultsIn total, 153 members answered the questionnaire out of the 427 members of the association (36%), among which 75 women (49%). Thirty nine percent of the female respondents found that their gender was a barrier in their career advancement, versus 1% of the male (P<0.0001). Forty female respondents (53%) perceived that female urologists earned less respect than their male counterparts versus 22% of the male (P<0.0001). Among the female respondents, 19 (25%) have felt that it would not be possible to become pregnant at the time they would have wanted it and 7 (9%) reported having already been threatened to lose a fellowship position in case of a pregnancy. ConclusionThis survey found a high prevalence of gender discrimination among French urologists in training, perceived in majority by women. Female urologists perceived obstacles and received threats when wanting to become pregnant during their training.

Older adults’ perceptions of ageism, discrimination, and racism

ABSTRACT Older adults often experience different forms of discrimination, whether it be on the basis of their age, gender, race, or ethnicity (Rochon et al. 2021). Many older adults have stated they have experienced the health care system differently because of their race or ethnicity . Understanding older adults’ experiences and their perceptions of ageism and racism can guide future work. This observational cross-sectional study captured community-dwelling older adults’ perceptions about their experiences with ageism and racism. A few opened-ended questions were included in the cross-sectional survey. While results did not yield differences with respect to perceptions of ageism by race; there were statistically significant results in regard to perceived racism, with higher scores on the racism scales for individuals who self-identified as Black. Discussion and implications for practice, policy and research are explored.

Secure attachment priming inhibits the generalization of conditioned fear

BackgroundFear overgeneralization constitutes a susceptibility factor contributing to the development and maintenance of anxiety spectrum disorders. Extant research has demonstrated that exposure to positive and supportive social relationships attenuates fear acquisition and promotes the extinction of conditioned fear responses. However, the literature lacks investigation into the effect of secure attachment priming on inhibiting the generalization of conditioned fear.MethodsIn this study, college students were recruited via online platforms to voluntarily engage in the experimental procedures, resulting in 57 subjects whose data were deemed suitable for analysis. The experimental protocol consisted of four consecutive phases: pre-acquisition, acquisition, priming, and generalization. The priming phase consisted of two experimental conditions: secure attachment priming (experimental group) and positive emotion priming (control group). This study adopted the perceptual discrimination fear conditioning paradigm, employing subjective expectancy of shock ratings and skin conductance responses as primary assessment indices. Individual difference variables were measured using corresponding psychological measurement scales.ResultsIn terms of generalization degree, a notable divergence surfaced in the skin conductance responses across various generalization materials between the secure attachment priming group and the control group. Similarly, during generalization extinction, a significant disparity emerged in the skin conductance responses across different generalization phases between the secure attachment priming group and the control group. In addition, individual differences analyses revealed that the inhibitory effect of secure attachment priming on fear generalization was not affected by intolerance of uncertainty and attachment orientations. Conversely, slope analyses confirmed that as intolerance of uncertainty increased, the inhibitory effect of positive emotion priming on fear generalization was attenuated.ConclusionThe findings suggest that activating participants' representations of secure attachment via imagination effectively attenuates the generalization of perceptual fear at the physiological level. The inhibitory effect of secure attachment priming appears to be distinct from positive emotional modulation and remains unaffected by individual trait attachment styles. These results offer novel insights and avenues for the prevention and clinical intervention of anxiety spectrum disorders.

‘Yeah, they suck. It’s like they don’t care about our health.’ Medical mistrust among Black women under community supervision in New York city

Black women in the USA experience some of the poorest health outcomes and this is especially true for those involved in the carceral system who are at elevated risks for HIV/STIs, reproductive health, and chronic diseases. This study aimed to investigate Black women’s experience accessing healthcare services. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 43 women from Project EWORTH under community supervision in New York City. We analysed responses focusing on barriers to healthcare engagement. All interviews were recorded, and data analysis was conducted using NVivo. Themes influencing Black women’s ability to engage with healthcare providers and systems included: 1) disclosed provider mistrust/judgement; 2) feeling disrespected by providers and the medical system; 3) mistrust of medical providers/system/hospital/government; 4) lack of health communication; 5) low health literacy; 6) provider gender preference. Findings highlight the need to improve trust and collaboration between healthcare providers and Black women. This study addresses the critical gap in understanding perceptions of discrimination, stigma, and barriers to attaining health care. Funders and accreditation agencies must hold providers and organisations accountable for acquiring and making available diversity, equity and inclusion training for providers, demonstrating increasingly equitable medical relationships through responsiveness to patient feedback, and increasing the number of Black providers.

Dorsal pulvinar inactivation leads to spatial selection bias without perceptual deficit

The dorsal pulvinar has been implicated in visuospatial attentional and perceptual confidence processing. Pulvinar lesions in humans and monkeys lead to spatial neglect symptoms, including an overt spatial saccade bias during free choices. However, it remains unclear whether disrupting the dorsal pulvinar during target selection that relies on a perceptual decision leads to a perceptual impairment or a more general spatial orienting and choice deficit. To address this question, we reversibly inactivated the unilateral dorsal pulvinar by injecting GABA-A agonist THIP while two macaque monkeys performed a color discrimination saccade task with varying perceptual difficulty. We used Signal Detection Theory and simulations to dissociate perceptual sensitivity (d-prime) and spatial selection bias (response criterion) effects. We expected a decrease in d-prime if dorsal pulvinar affects perceptual discrimination and a shift in response criterion if dorsal pulvinar is mainly involved in spatial orienting. After the inactivation, we observed response criterion shifts away from contralesional stimuli, especially when two competing stimuli in opposite hemifields were present. Notably, the d-prime and overall accuracy remained largely unaffected. Our results underline the critical contribution of the dorsal pulvinar to spatial orienting and action selection while showing it to be less important for visual perceptual discrimination.

Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning

BackgroundCategorization and its influence on perceptual discrimination are essential processes to organize information efficiently. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are suggested to display enhanced discrimination on the one hand, but also to experience difficulties with generalization and ignoring irrelevant differences on the other, which underlie categorization. Studies on categorization and discrimination in ASC have mainly focused on one process at a time, however, and typically only used either behavioral or neural measures in isolation. Here, we aim to investigate the interrelationships between these perceptual processes using novel stimuli sampled from a well-controlled artificial stimulus space. In addition, we complement standard behavioral psychophysical tasks with frequency-tagging EEG (FT-EEG) to obtain a direct, non-task related neural index of discrimination and categorization.MethodsThe study was completed by 38 adults with ASC and 38 matched neurotypical (NT) individuals. First, we assessed baseline discrimination sensitivity by administering FT-EEG measures and a complementary behavioral task. Second, participants were trained to categorize the stimuli into two groups. Finally, participants again completed the neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity measures.ResultsBefore training, NT participants immediately revealed a categorical tuning of discrimination, unlike ASC participants who showed largely similar discrimination sensitivity across the stimuli. During training, both autistic and non-autistic participants were able to categorize the stimuli into two groups. However, in the initial training phase, ASC participants were less accurate and showed more variability, as compared to their non-autistic peers. After training, ASC participants showed significantly enhanced neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity across the category boundary. Behavioral indices of a reduced categorical processing and perception were related to the presence of more severe autistic traits. Bayesian analyses confirmed overall results.LimitationsData-collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsOur behavioral and neural findings indicate that adults with and without ASC are able to categorize highly similar stimuli. However, while categorical tuning of discrimination sensitivity was spontaneously present in the NT group, it only emerged in the autistic group after explicit categorization training. Additionally, during training, adults with autism were slower at category learning. Finally, this multi-level approach sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sensory and information processing issues in ASC.

Discrimination perception and problem behaviors of left-behind children in China: the mediating effect of grit and social support

The study aims to explore the protection effect of grit as a personal quality and social support as an environmental factor in the association between left-behind children’s discrimination perception and problem behavior. A total of 457 left-behind children in China were recruited to complete the Discrimination Perception questionnaire, Social Support Scale, Short Grit Scale, and Problem Behavior Questionnaire. It found discrimination perception could positively associate with the problem behaviors of left-behind children. Grit played a mediating role in the relationship of left-behind children’s discrimination perception on problem behaviors. Social support played a mediating role in the association of left-behind children’s discrimination perception on problem behaviors. The higher the left-behind children’s discrimination perception, the lower their grit level, and the less social support led to the more prone to problem behaviors.

Education, perceived discrimination, and identity voting: evidence from Brazil’s 2018 election

ABSTRACT Brazil’s electoral arena has long been characterized as devoid of identity politics. Recent analyses, however, have uncovered shifting racial subjectivities and effects of race and gender on electoral preferences. This paper leverages Brazil’s 2018 election to reassess conventional wisdom and test whether recent findings derived from racial groups extend to other subordinate social groups in this context, namely women and sexual minorities. I test two hypotheses: (1) that higher levels of education correlate with greater perceptions of group-based discrimination, and (2) that perceptions of group-based discrimination explain within-group variation in support for Bolsonaro. Analysis of national survey data show that education correlates with group consciousness among subordinate groups, and that these individuals are more likely to oppose the far-right populist candidate. This article provides a more complete understanding of the electoral salience of identity in the Brazilian context, and provides evidence that insights derived from one marginalized group can extend to others.

Beyond the incident: Influences on the perception of multiple instances of discrimination.

This article seeks to enhance the theoretical understanding of discrimination perception, especially in contexts with relevant statistical information. Previous research has provided important insights into the perception of single, ambiguous instances of discrimination. However, the generalizability of these insights to scenarios involving multiple, repeated instances of discrimination remains unclear. The current research aims to reduce this uncertainty by investigating whether three key determinants of discrimination perception in single instances - perpetrators' prototypicality, victims' control, and system-justifying beliefs (SJB) - also influence observers' perceptions of repeated discrimination. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants perceived stronger discrimination when perpetrators were prejudiced members of the advantaged group. In Experiments 3 and 4, perceived discrimination intensified when victims had low control, a trend significantly noted in tabular presentations but not in sequential ones. In Experiments 5 and 6, a negative correlation between SJB and discrimination perception was observed. The theoretical and practical implications of these results, as well as open questions, are discussed. Overall, these studies advance our knowledge of discrimination perception in multiple instances. They highlight the intricate interplay between statistical data, moral judgements, and individual belief systems, paving the way for a more nuanced exploration of the underlying psychological processes of discrimination perception.

Perceptual Learning of Fine Contrast Discrimination Under Non-roving, Roving-Without-Flanker, and Roving-with-Flanker Conditions and its Relation to Neuronal Activity in Macaque V1

AbstractPerceptual learning refers to an improvement in perceptual abilities with training. Neural signatures of visual perceptual learning have been demonstrated mostly in mid- and high-level cortical areas, while changes in early sensory cortex were often more limited. We recorded continuously from multiple neuronal clusters in area V1 while macaque monkeys learned a fine contrast categorization task. Monkeys performed the contrast discrimination task initially when a constant-contrast sample stimulus was followed by a test stimulus of variable contrast, whereby they had to indicate whether the test was of lower or higher contrast than the sample. This was followed by sessions where we employed stimulus roving; i.e. the contrast of the sample stimulus varied from trial to trial. Finally, we trained animals, under ‘stimulus roving-with-flanker’ conditions, where the test stimuli to be discriminated were flanked by ‘flanking stimuli’. Perceptual discrimination abilities improved under non-roving conditions and under roving-with-flanker conditions as training progressed. Neuronal discrimination abilities improved with training mostly under non-roving conditions, but the effect was modest and limited to the most difficult contrast. Choice probabilities, quantifying how well neural activity is correlated with choice, equally increased with training during non-roving, but not during either of the roving conditions (with and without flankers). Noise correlations changed with training in both monkeys, but the changes were not consistent between monkeys. In one monkey, noise correlations decreased with training for non-roving and both roving conditions. In the other monkey, noise correlations changed for some conditions, but lacked a systematic pattern. Thus, while perceptual learning occurred under non-roving and roving-with-flanker conditions, the changes in neural activity in V1 were overall modest and were essentially absent under the different roving conditions.

Methodological considerations in the study of perceived discrimination at work and its association with workers health and occupational outcomes: A scoping review.

Perceived workplace discrimination is a complex phenomenon involving unfair treatment in the workplace based on personal characteristics such as age, ethnicity, gender, or disability. The objective of this study is to explore the association of perceived workplace discrimination with health and occupational outcomes. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology, a scoping review of articles published between 2000 and 2022 was conducted in databases such as Pubmed, Scopus, and PsyInfo. Inclusion criteria focused on studies exploring perceived workplace discrimination among workers, excluding those on patients, students, or the general population, and articles not written in English or Spanish. Of the 9,871 articles identified, 102 met the criteria and were analyzed. Research showed a progressive increase in the study of perceived workplace discrimination, with a majority of studies in North America and Europe and a predominance of cross-sectional designs. Most studies did not clearly define the concept of perceived workplace discrimination nor report the psychometric characteristics of the measurement instruments. A significant association was found between perceived discrimination and negative outcomes in workers' mental and physical health, as well as a negative impact on job satisfaction and an increase in absenteeism. Additionally, sociodemographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, gender, and age influenced the perception of discrimination. This review confirms that perceived workplace discrimination significantly impacts the health and job satisfaction of workers, with particular detriment in minorities and women. Despite an increase in research over the last two decades, there remains a lack of consistency in the definition and measurement of the phenomenon. Most studies have used cross-sectional designs, and there is a notable absence of research in the Latin American context.

Intersectionality analysis of young people’s experiences and perceptions of discrimination in primary health centers in Ebonyi State, Southeast Nigeria

Background Young people (aged 10 to 24 years) in sub-Saharan Africa bear a huge and disproportionate burden of poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes due to inequalities and discrimination in accessing sexual and reproductive health services (SRHS). This study assessed the experiences and perceptions of discrimination among young people seeking SRH services in Primary Health Centers (PHCs) using an intersectionality lens.Methods A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was undertaken in six local government areas (LGAs) in Ebonyi State, southeast Nigeria. The LGAs comprise both urban and rural locations. The study population for the quantitative survey consisted of 1025 randomly selected young boys and girls aged 15–24 years. Eleven focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with the young people. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed for quantitative data, while thematic analysis was performed for the qualitative data, using NVivo.Results A total of 16.68% participants in the survey reported that young girls/women were treated badly/unfairly compared to young boys/men when seeking SRH services in PHCs; 15.22% reported that young clients get treated badly/unfairly from adults; and 12.49% reported that young clients with poor economic status were treated unfairly. Respondents also reported that young clients with disability (12.12%), and those who are poorly educated or uneducated (10.63%) are treated badly by healthcare providers when they access SRH services. Young people in urban areas were about 7 times more likely to believe that girls/young women are treated badly than boys/young men when seeking SRH services in PHCs compared to those who live in rural areas (p < 0.001). Among the young girls/women, residing in urban areas, being poor and in school increased the likelihood of getting treated badly/unfairly when receiving SRH services by 4 times (p < 0.001). The qualitative results revealed that health workers were generally harsh to young people seeking SRH services and the level of harshness or unfriendliness of the health workers varied depending on the young person’s social identity.ConclusionThere are varieties of intersecting factors that contribute to the discrimination of young clients in PHCs. This underscores the urgent need to prioritize intersectional perspectives in the design and implementation of interventions that will improve access and use of SRH services by young people.

A latent pool of neurons silenced by sensory-evoked inhibition can be recruited to enhance perception

To investigate which activity patterns in sensory cortex are relevant for perceptual decision-making, we combined two-photon calcium imaging and targeted two-photon optogenetics to interrogate barrel cortex activity during perceptual discrimination. We trained mice to discriminate bilateral whisker deflections and report decisions by licking left or right. Two-photon calcium imaging revealed sparse coding of contralateral and ipsilateral whisker input in layer 2/3, with most neurons remaining silent during the task. Activating pyramidal neurons using two-photon holographic photostimulation evoked a perceptual bias that scaled with the number of neurons photostimulated. This effect was dominated by optogenetic activation of non-coding neurons, which did not show sensory or motor-related activity during task performance. Photostimulation also revealed potent recruitment of cortical inhibition during sensory processing, which strongly and preferentially suppressed non-coding neurons. Our results suggest that a pool of non-coding neurons, selectively suppressed by network inhibition during sensory processing, can be recruited to enhance perception.

Medical mistrust, discrimination and healthcare experiences in a rural Namibian community

ABSTRACT Substantial evidence indicates that medical mistrust, resulting from experiences with discrimination and marginalisation, is a determinant of health disparities in minority populations. However, this research is largely limited to the US and other industrialised countries. To broaden our understanding of the role of medical mistrust on health-care decision making, we conducted a study on healthcare experiences and perceptions in a rural, underserved indigenous community in northwest Namibia (n = 86). Mixing semi-structured interview questions with the medical mistrust index (MMI), we aim to determine the relevance of the MMI in a non-industrialised population and compare index scores with reports of healthcare experiences. We find that medical mistrust is a salient concept in this community, mapping onto negative healthcare experiences and perceptions of discrimination. Reported healthcare experiences indicate that perceived incompetence, maltreatment and discrimination drive mistrust of medical personnel. However, reporting of recent healthcare experiences are generally positive. Our results indicate that the concept of medical mistrust can be usefully applied to communities in the Global South. These populations, like minority communities in the US, translate experiences of discrimination and marginalisation into medical mistrust. Understanding these processes can help address health disparities and aid in effective public health outreach in underserved populations.

Exploring the Impact of Decoys on Decision‐Making by Young Children

ABSTRACTThe asymmetric dominance effect (or decoy effect) is a decision‐making phenomenon that occurs when preference for a target alternative shifts with the addition of a similar, yet inferior alternative dubbed the decoy. Despite the considerable number of studies examining the decoy effect with adult humans and animals, there is comparatively less research on context effects within the developmental domain. In this study, we explored the impact of a decoy on choice behavior by young children (3–9 years old) using a preferential choice task as well as a perceptual discrimination task. Introduction of an inferior decoy impacted choice behavior across 2‐alternative (binary) versus 3‐alternative (trinary) sets, such that inclusion of the dominated decoy in expanded sets decreased selection of the superior target alternative. This pattern of results indicates a reversal of the standard attraction effect, also known as the repulsion effect. We discuss these findings in light of the adult and comparative literatures on decoy effects as well as call for additional developmental studies exploring the impact of inferior alternatives in multialternative decision‐making.

“All employees are equal … but some are more equal than others”. Role identity and nonfamily member discrimination in family SMEs

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate if, under which conditions, and with which consequences, nonfamily members have the perception of being discriminated against as a consequence of nepotism and adverse selection practices. This research also aims to investigate whether the carried-out role influences the perception of being discriminated against among nonfamily member employees.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was carried out by adopting a structural equation model (SEM) analysis. The survey investigated a sample of Italian family SMEs (participating companies N = 186, total questionnaires collected N = 838).FindingsDrawing on the multiple identities theory, findings show that role salience (RS) effectively contributes to reducing the unwanted effects of perceived discrimination (PD) among nonfamily member employees. In doing so, this study deepens the knowledge of nonfamily member employment conditions and their consequences on strategic outcomes such as organizational commitment (OC), organizational justice (OJ) and intention to quit (ITQ).Research limitations/implicationsBy adopting a self-categorization approach, this study also advances current theoretical literature, as this methodological lens could help scholars further understand diversity in family business.Practical implicationsThis study suggests it would be advisable to implement human resource management practices based on job rotation to promote cohesion and reduce perceived distances.Social implicationsSMEs are the most widespread type of firm in the world; as a consequence, avoiding PD among nonfamily member employees has general ethical relevance.Originality/valueThis study expands current literature by showing that RS plays an important role in determining levels of PD. This study also advances current literature by focusing on the impact of multiple identities on fairness and commitment at individual and group levels of analysis of family businesses.

“I’ve never met a barrister that sounded like I do”: accents, barristers and Bourdieusian capital

ABSTRACT Use of Received Pronunciation (RP) is a proxy for particular kinds of elite social capital, but it is also a professional norm and part of the Bourdieusian habitus of the Bar. This article uses the first empirical study of accent discrimination in relation to barristers in England and Wales as a basis for a theoretical consideration of the interaction between barristers and others: clients, jurors, judges and other barristers. In particular it evaluates ways in which understandings about accent, as a facet of social or cultural capital, impact on individual career decisions. It concludes that while considerable progress has been made on diversity of the profession, targeted action by the regulator and the profession is required to address perceptions of discrimination (and manifestations of discrimination itself) in a profession to whose activities speech is foundational.

Neoliberal Feminism and Women's Protest Motivation

A popular form of neoliberal feminism seeks to advance gender equality in leadership and beyond by encouraging women to be resilient as individuals. By locating career advancement as within an individual's control, recent research has shown that this focus subtly shifts the blame for gender inequality onto women and reduces support for needed structural changes to tackle gender discrimination. We extend research into neoliberal feminism by examining anticipated negative effects on women's protest motivation. Across four studies in the United Kingdom (total N = 1,168), undergraduate women students and employed women with university degrees in both the control and resilience conditions first read about gender inequality. Participants in the neoliberal feminist conditions then read messages promoting individual resilience as key to women's advancement (Study 1–3) or participated in activities designed to build their own resilience as individuals to help them advance (Study 4). In Studies 1, 3, and 4, participants in the neoliberal feminist conditions compared to the control had lower collective action intentions – a negative effect that was either indirect, via reduced perceptions of gender discrimination (Studies 1 and 4) and reduced anger over inequality (Study 1), or direct (Study 3). Together, these studies provided partial support for our hypothesis that neoliberal feminism can undermine women's protest motivation. Future research can help establish how contextual and other factors contribute to the strength of these effects and explore how feminists can better harness messages of resilience. To advance gender equality, our findings suggest that advocates should focus less on individualistic solutions and more on addressing structural barriers, laying the groundwork for effective protest action and social change. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843241238176 .