A German team of researchers has found that even a short online program can change prospective therapists’ negative attitudes about MAPs. The researchers developed a 10-min online educational program that included a video about an MAP intended to reduce stigma and increase the willingness of therapists in training to work with MAPs. They found that the program significantly reduced viewers’ agreements with common stereotypes about MAPs widely held by the public, and that this effect persisted at follow-up, although motivation to work with MAPs was not increased. The authors conclude that “stigmatizing attitudes, negative affective responses and social distance regarding people with pedophilia among psychotherapists in training can be positively influenced by a low-cost intervention.”
The study, entitled “Stigmatizing attitudes towards people with pedophilia and their malleability among psychotherapists in training” by Sara Jahnke, Kathleen Philipp, Juergen Hoyer, can be found here.
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