A study published in Nature Human Behavior investigated the effect of empathic training on empathy for sexual and gender minorities. Empathic training is when people listen to personal narratives from individuals who identify with various minority groups, such as LGBTQ+ individuals. The participants were divided into three groups: those who received empathic training, those who listened to generic narratives about interpersonal conflicts, and those who did nothing. Afterward, all participants took an Implicit Association Test that measured implicit attitudes toward LGBTQ+ individuals. The results showed that both the empathic training group and control group had more positive implicit attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals than before the experiment, but the empathic training group was the most improved. This suggests that empathic training can enhance empathy toward sexual and gender minorities in both in-group and out-group contexts. Another study found that exposure to different kinds of media can increase empathy toward sexual and gender minorities.
Watching television shows or movies that feature characters who are LGBTQ+ could lead to increased empathy toward them. It also suggested that viewers should be exposed to a diverse range of stories and characters to maximize their effects.
Research has shown that reading fiction may help to develop empathy. This may be because fictional narratives often involve complex emotions and relationships between characters, which helps readers better understand the experiences of others.
It's important to note that these studies focused primarily on empathy toward out-groups. More research is needed to investigate whether empathy for in-groups can also be enhanced through similar means.
Psychological mechanisms can enhance empathy toward sexual and gender minorities in both in-group and out-group contexts through techniques such as empathic training, exposure to media, and reading fiction. Further research is necessary to determine how best to apply these methods to specific populations and situations.