Racist attitudes versus actions: A replication proposal activity of LaPiere’s 1934 research to understand the communication of racism

Abstract

LaPiere’s pioneering study explored the tenuous connection between attitudes and behaviors in the context of racism. This activity provides a replication proposal framework that is useful for applying critical thinking skills, including new forms of measurement. Students read the study and provide written responses to several discussion prompts and then engage in class discussions. Questions include how racism is communicated, methodological problems, and a better way to measure the communication of racism and corresponding attitudes accurately. Courses Communication Research, Communication Theory, Introduction to Communication, Rhetorical Criticism, Persuasion. Objectives This activity helps students learn how to: (1) evaluate the internal and external validity of LaPiere’s research, (2) analyze the relationship between racist attitudes and behaviors, and (3) create a research design that accounts for the threats to validity in LaPiere’s study in today’s context. These objectives are measurable by evaluating (1) the number of threats to validity students identified and analyzing the articulation of these threats, (2) the elaboration and development of attitude explanations, and (3) the extent to which the research design addresses the threats from LaPiere’s study while exploring how racism manifests today both attitudinally and behaviorally. For classes not focused on research methods, the analysis can be on the relationship between attitudes and behaviors.