Racial attitude (dis)similarity and liking in same-race minority interactions

Randi L Garcia,J Nicole Shelton,Hilary B Bergsieker

doi:10.1177/1368430215612224

Randi L Garcia, J Nicole Shelton + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430215612224

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Abstract

Two studies investigate the relationship between racial attitude (dis)similarity and interpersonal liking for racial minorities and Whites in same-race and cross-race pairs. In nationally representative and local samples, minorities report personally caring about racial issues more than Whites do (Pilot Study), which we theorize makes racial attitude divergence with ingroup members especially disruptive. Both established friendships (Study 1) and face-to-face interactions among strangers (Study 2) provided evidence for the dissimilarity-repulsion hypothesis in same-race interactions for minorities but not Whites. For minorities, disagreeing with a minority partner or friend about racial attitudes decreased their positivity toward that person. Because minorities typically report caring about race more than Whites, same-race friendships involving shared racial attitudes may be particularly critical sources of social support for them, particularly in predominately White contexts. Understanding challenges that arise in same-race interactions, not just cross-race interactions, can help create environments in which same-race minority friendships flourish.

Highlights

Background informationParticipants indicated their gender, race/ethnicity, age, and class year, and this information for their friend
To ground our argument theoretically we offer a brief overview of work on assumed similarity and dissimilarity-repulsion effects, we describe research on similarity in same- and cross-race interactions
Attitude congruence matters as much or more in intragroup contexts, and ingroup dissimilarities repel more than ingroup similarities attract. We investigate whether these dynamics shift for attitudes directly relevant to group membership and whether repulsion asymmetries arise if the attitude matters more to one group than the other

Summary

Introduction

Participants indicated their gender, race/ethnicity, age, and class year, and this information for their friend They indicated their relationship duration (“less than a week,” “a few weeks,” “about a month,” “a few months,” “6 months but less than a year,” and “2 years or longer”) and “How well does this person know you?” from 1 (not at all) to 7 (very well).. No significant differences in racial attitudes emerged for Whites (M = 2.00, SD = 1.04) versus minorities (M = 1.94, SD = 1.06), b = 0.03, t(205.73) = 0.37, p = .72, d = 0.06; participants with a White (M = 2.00, SD = 1.01) versus minority (M = 1.95, SD = 1.09) friend, b = 0.02, t(205.73) = 0.32, p = .75, d = 0.05; or for same- (M = 1.95, SD = 0.96) versus cross-race (M = 2.01, SD = 1.17) friendships, b = -0.03, t(102) = -0.36, p = .72, d = -0.06

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