Audiovisual Fiction to Reduce Prejudices Against Non-Binary People

Non-binary communities advocate for greater inclusion of their identities in the media, as lack of visibility and awareness remains a significant cause of prejudice against this population. This study investigates the impact of media representations of non-binary individuals on audience attitudes. Specifically, it draws on narrative transportation theory to examine how different narrative types affect their viewers’ openness to such identities. An online experiment with a between-subjects factorial design was conducted with 404 Spanish participants, who were of diverse gender and sexual identities (AgeRange = 19 to 74; M = 35.01, SD = 11.11) and were recruited via an online panel. Participants were randomly assigned to one of six narratives from a TV series featuring a non-binary character, in which identity-linked narrative valence outcome was either positive, neutral or negative. Results indicate that negative and neutral narratives generate higher levels of narrative transportation, which enhances character liking, subsequently reducing intergroup anxiety and fostering greater openness toward non-binary gender identities. This research contributes to the understanding of how media narratives can positively influence attitudes toward non-binary individuals.