Social Cognition vs. Affect: Evidence from a Media Intervention on Prosocial Behavior toward Outsiders

Abstract

In recent years, Colombia has faced a significant influx of 6.5 million migrants from Venezuela. This situation compounds the challenges posed by internally displaced people (IDPs) affected by the civil conflict, as well as former FARC combatants and paramilitaries who have reintegrated into civilian life. We conducted a lab-in-the-field experiment with a representative sample from major Colombian regions to assess the prosocial behavior of Colombian citizens—specifically altruism, trust, and preferences for redistribution—toward four key groups: Venezuelan migrants, former combatants, IDPs, and the very poor.

Additionally, we demonstrate the positive impact of interventions grounded in social psychology for enhancing prosocial behavior. Our intervention consists of a 5-minute media clip featuring interviews we conducted with Venezuelan migrants and Colombians living in Bogota. A second media intervention, developed by Bruneau et al 2022, uses interviews with ex-FARC combatants in a Colombian demobilization camp and non-FARC Colombians from nearby communities.

We show that exposure to these media interventions effectively reduces psychosocial barriers by humanizing both migrants and ex-FARC combatants, and by increasing support for integration policies for both groups. The interventions influenced not only attitudes but also prosocial behavior toward migrants and IDPs. Moreover, our analysis indicates that the effects of the intervention were mediated by altering conflict-related cognitions—specifically, reducing the belief that migrants are unwilling or unable to adapt—beyond emotional pathways such as increased empathy or reduced prejudice.

JEL Classification: A13, D91, C72, C93, C91, D63, D30, D87, D84, Z18