Republicans evaluated the same diversity-training content more favorably when it was introduced with language less associated with political debates, according to research by Cornell’s ILR School.
The findings concern participants’ enthusiasm and perceptions of political bias, rather than proof that changing terminology improves workplace equality, Cornell reported.
Changing the framing while keeping the content
Devon Proudfoot, associate professor of organizational behavior, and Sean Fath, assistant professor of organizational behavior, co-authored “Depoliticizing Language Improves Attitudes Toward Diversity Training,” published Oct. 22 in Social Psychological and Personality Science.
The researchers conducted three experiments and two supplemental studies involving employed Democrats and Republicans between December 2024 and April 2026.
Participants saw diversity-training presentations and articles about workplace human resources issues. Researchers changed the wording used to introduce the material, substituting “differences” for “diversity,” “being visible, heard, and considered” for “inclusion,” and “unfair advantages” for “privilege.”
Republicans reported greater enthusiasm for sessions introduced with the alternative language and saw them as less politically biased. In comparisons holding the training itself constant, the initial framing still mattered.
Political signals can shape the initial response
“A common assumption is that conservatives push back on diversity training because they disagree with what it teaches,” Proudfoot said. “We wanted to know whether the words used to initially frame the training also played a role, and we found that they do.”
She said repeated use of terms such as diversity, inclusion and belonging in partisan debates can cause people to interpret training through political identities before considering its content.
The research tests reactions to the way training is presented. The reported findings do not establish that every employee will respond the same way or that revised descriptions alone resolve broader workplace problems.
Proudfoot said describing a program’s substance in plain terms could be a low-cost way for employers to reduce resistance without changing what is taught.
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