Attitudes on Affirmative Action in University Students: Effects of Race, Political Beliefs and Prejudice

Mathieu Turgeon,Ronaldo Pilati

doi:10.11144/javeriana.upsy18-2.aaau

Mathieu Turgeon, Ronaldo Pilati

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11144/javeriana.upsy18-2.aaau

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Abstract

The interplay between explicit and implicit attitudes toward affirmative action (AA) policies is relevant to applied psychology. Its comprehension helps to improve our capacity to evaluate support for such policies. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which students’ race, political opinion of affirmative action, and prejudice against minorities influence the relationship between implicit-explicit attitudes toward affirmative action policies. 492 student participants were recruited from a large Brazilian public university about racial quotas in admissions. Implicit and explicit measures of attitude about the admission process were applied, together with measures of political opinion of affirmative action, prejudice against minorities and race. The results show that race has little effect on the difference between implicit and explicit attitudes about the admission process, but that prejudice and political position exert strong effects. Our findings suggest that implicit measures of attitudes should be used when evaluating attitudes on AA.

Highlights

The interplay between explicit and implicit attitudes toward affirmative action (AA) policies is relevant to applied psychology
This research aims to shed some light on the interplay between implicit and explicit attitudes on AA policies and explore how such attitudes relate to race, political preferences, and prejudice in a context where AA policies are essential, but little understood
Political beliefs and preferences about AA, and prejudice are all correlated, and in ways expected, with both our implicit and explicit measures about the traditional entry exam

Summary

Introduction

The interplay between explicit and implicit attitudes toward affirmative action (AA) policies is relevant to applied psychology. 492 student participants were recruited from a large Brazilian public university about racial quotas in admissions. Implicit and explicit measures of attitude about the admission process were applied, together with measures of political opinion of affirmative action, prejudice against minorities and race. RESUMEN La interacción entre las actitudes explícitas e implícitas hacia las políticas de acción afirmativa (AA) es relevante para la psicología aplicada. Se aplicaron medidas de actitud implícita y explícita sobre el proceso de admisión, junto con medidas de opinión política de acción afirmativa, prejuicios contra las minorías y la raza. Many universities have adopted racial quotas for Afro-Brazilians to diversify the university student population (dos Santos, 2012). A much higher proportion of the student population in public federal universities is from lower economic strata and non-white. Earlier work by Telles and Bailey (2002) finds greater support for university racial quotas among non-whites

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