ABSTRACT An exploratory study surveyed 367 US Black, Latinx, and White parents of children (ages 4–7) and tested theoretical propositions of social identity gratifications theory and multicultural theory to determine the influence of ethnic-racial identity on media selection of ethnic-racial diverse content. The findings partially support both SIG and multicultural theory. Approximately two-thirds of the participants recalled watching a diverse ethnic or racial portrayal in the media with their child. Results indicated that Black and Latinx parents reported stronger ethnic-racial identity relative to White parents. Ethnic-racial identity predicted attitudes but not beliefs toward diverse ethnic and race portrayals; ethnic-racial identity, attitudes, and beliefs predicted media endorsement of such portrayals to their children. Implications for future research on media based ethnic-racial socialization practices are discussed.
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