Testing Self-Segregation: Multiple-Group Structural Modeling of College Students’ Interracial Friendship by Race

Abstract

Using structural equation modeling, this study examined the effects of peer environments on collegiate interracial friendship and how such effects vary by students’ race. The results show that the peer environment of Greek life mediated the relationship between structural diversity and interracial friendship in college, in that students attending institutions with greater structural diversity were less likely to frequently interact with peers from Greek life, which had a positive effect on interracial friendship. This mediation effect was consistent for all four racial groups of the study. This study also uncovers unique findings related to Latino/as and interracial friendship: that structural diversity has an indirect effect on interracial friendship via participation in ethnic student organizations for Latino/a students and that participation in ethnic student organizations is also directly and positively linked to interracial friendship for this group. The study discusses implications for understanding intergroup relations and patterns of interracial friendship.