Assessing Affective Engagement with Narratives of Invisible Disability

Narratives about invisible disabilities are poorly represented in public discourse and often go undisclosed [1], leading to false assumptions, discrimination, and stigma [2] against those who experience these conditions. To address these issues, recent studies have suggested that disclosure of first-person narratives of invisible disabilities should be increased [3]. To understand the mechanisms affecting recipients of such narratives, the present study evaluates how social media users (N = 124) engage affectively with this content in a digitally mediated narrative-form intervention designed to reduce harmful assumptions against persons who experience invisible disabilities. Results of this study indicate that such an intervention may prove effective at reducing harmful assumptions on the basis of visual cues, and in line with past research, finds that affect may play an important role in assumption-making processes [4]. Findings from this study may be used to inform novel digital interventions capable of counteracting harmful assumptions that drive prejudicial behaviors against a wide range of populations and communities.