New Study by Bellevue University Alumna and Professor Explores Political Discrimination and Self-Censorship Among Students

Bellevue University alumna Amber Grady and Dr. Jerome Lewis, Associate Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, have co-authored and published a study exploring opinions about free expression of political views in universities with Discover Psychology.

The study, titled Perceptions of Academic Discrimination Mediate the Relationship Between Political Minority Status and Self-Censorship Among U.S. College Students, examines how perceived political discrimination and political identity influence self-censorship among students. It focuses on how students’ perceptions of their political minority status shape their academic experiences and behavior.

“Given that political orientation and political affiliation are often used interchangeably, it was surprising to find differences in how these categories related to college students' perceptions and behaviors,” said Grady. 

Grady explained that in Study 1, research showed that perceived academic discrimination is associated with self-censorship, regardless of political orientation. However, in Study 2, perceptions of political discrimination and political minority status contributed to Republicans perceiving themselves as political minorities and self-censoring. 

“These results show that political tribalism may be driving perceptions of political discrimination more than actual political values,” said Dr. Lewis. “The good news is that if we can figure out a way to reduce political tribalism, we may be able to reduce perceptions of political discrimination and increase bipartisan collaboration in university settings.” 

The article is open-access, making it available to the general public and accessible for those interested in understanding political expression in academic settings.