This dissertation aimed to assess the suitability of false superior pity (FSP) as a mediator and realism, appreciation, and enjoyment as antecedents in predicting responses to denigrated groups associated with increased health or social risks related to COVID-19. The current stigma-oriented extended parallel process model (S-EPPM) proposes that the appropriate balance of threat and efficacy translates to desired responses to groups. The first study examined the applicability of the S-EPPM, with the addition of FSP as a mediator, to the contexts of advanced age and obesity when communicating disparity information via a 2 attribution context (obesity and advanced age) by 2 disparity (presence or absence of a disparity message) experiment. The findings indicated disparity information exacerbated stigma, specifically toward people with obesity. FSP made a suitable mediator between threat appraisal and response within the S-EPPM. The second study examined whether the association between COVID-19 disease outcomes and denigrated identities devalued disease mitigation efforts through secondary analysis of data gathered in Study 1. The disparity information did not devalue these efforts. The BIAS map provided a suitable framework to assess information regarding the social outcomes of COVID-19. The third study examined the influence of tone and realism on perceptions of employed mothers via a 2 (light and serious tone) by 2 (more realistic and less realistic) factorial experiment predicting appreciation and hedonic enjoyment, and subsequently warmth, competence, pity, and support. The results indicated that light content predicted more hedonic enjoyment, serious content predicted more appreciation, and these mechanisms mediated the relationship between the content conditions and warmth. Warmth mediated the relationship between these constructs and policy support. FSP mediated the relationship between content type and avoidant behavior, supporting FSP as a response to ambivalent perceptions per the BIAS map framework. Combined, these studies provided evidence that disparity information can both multiply stigma and prompt social support depending on additional factors. FSP mediated some of these effects, and appreciation and enjoyment of media made appropriate antecedents to stereotype content.