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This study proposed a new perspective to look at the consequences of the formation of immigrant communities in globalized societies, by investigating the impact of two forms of group indispensability on majority attitudes towards immigrants. Specifically, it explored whether perceived indispensability of different immigrant groups to the national identity and their contributions to the functioning of the host society are related to the development of more positive attitudes towards them. We also explored whether such effects would be mediated by the inclusion of immigrants within the national common identity and whether these effects would be stronger among host country members with a stronger civic than ethnic conception of national citizenship. Results supported these predictions among a sample of native Portuguese citizens ( N = 118). As predicted, these effects were driven by perceptions of different types of indispensability for three immigrant groups in Portugal, who differed in their historical relations with the host society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although overt racism still adversely affects the well-being and advancement of Black Americans, subtle racism also has a pervasive influence. Color-blind racism, a form of subtle racism, rationalizes the current disadvantaged status of Black Americans and institutionalizes practices that perpetuate the disadvantage. The present article, adopting a psychological perspective, reviews the evidence on the existence and dynamics of contemporary forms of color-blind racism. It documents how racial biases that unconsciously and uncontrollably strategically shape the behavior of White Americans, even among seemingly well-meaning people. The article further examines how White Americans emphasizing color-blindness and common connection between members of different groups can improve intergroup attitudes but reinforce hierarchical relations between groups, which benefit Whites. Understanding the nature of subtle bias and the automatic processes that may underlie it can help illuminate how seemingly well-meaning interventions can obscure its effects, creating a veneer of tolerance while deflecting attention away from unfair treatment (and thus undermining motivation for action toward equality) among members of both dominant and disadvantaged groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arizona Senate Bill 1070 requires law-enforcement officers to verify the citizenship of individuals they stop when they have a 'reasonable suspicion' that someone may be unlawfully present in the United States. Critics of the law fear it will encourage racial profiling. Defenders of the law point out that the statute explicitly forbids most forms of racial profiling. By drawing on the lessons learned in the domain of antidiscrimination law, we discuss how social psychological research can inform this debate and illuminate challenges associated with fair enforcement of the statute. We conclude that the Arizona law, paired with a lack of comprehensive training and ineffective testing procedures for detecting discrimination, will likely result in many Latinos being illegally targeted on the basis of their race. While certain actions, such as effective training and oversight, may help mitigate discrimination, these safeguards are not likely to completely eliminate biased outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the persistent and widespread racial and gender inequalities that exist in the United States are almost certainly due to a combination of many different factors, one likely source of inequality is discrimination. As decades of research in social psychology suggest, this discrimination is often subtle and difficult to detect, and in some instances, may be unintentional. Although this type of discrimination is subtle, it is nonetheless damaging to those who are its victims and the cumulative effects of such discrimination may be substantial. In the domains of race and gender, in which individuals are presumably legally protected from discrimination, people are deprived of their civil rights when they face such behavior. Therefore, an important goal for research and practice in intergroup relations is to develop techniques that allow such discrimination to be reliably detected and to distinguish discriminatory conduct from behavior that is not influenced by subtle racial and gender biases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examined preferences for national- and campus-level assimilative and pluralistic policies among Black and White students under different contexts, as majority- and minority-group members. We targeted attitudes at two universities, one where 85% of the student body is White, and another where 76% of students are Black. The results revealed that when a group constituted the majority, its members generally preferred assimilationist policies, and when a group constituted the minority, its members generally preferred pluralistic policies. The results support a functional perspective: Both majority and minority groups seek to protect and enhance their collective identities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Earlier research suggests that despite President Obama''s election, racial prejudice persists and continues to shape reactions to his presidency. The current work examines the role of Whites’ prejudice in shaping perceptions of Obama''s Americanism, and ultimately evaluations of his performance. Specifically, this research proposes that “how American” Obama is perceived will mediate the relationship between racial prejudice and evaluations of his performance for White, but not Black participants and only for Obama and not for Vice-President Biden. Data were collected from 295 Black or White students surveyed 1 year after Obama''s election. Supportive of our hypotheses, racial prejudice predicted Whites’ negative evaluations of Obama''s performance, and this relationship was mediated by how American Obama was perceived. Additionally, these relationships were not obtained among Black participants or when Blacks or Whites evaluated the Americanism and job performance of Vice-President Biden. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article explores the complex role of collective identities in the development of intergroup biases and disparities, social action and social change. It discusses the common ingroup identity model and examines the general empirical support but also acknowledges potential limitations and emphasizes new insights and extensions. The article also proposes that the motivations of majority group members to preserve a system have direct implications for preferred group representations.

This article describes our collaborative research on aversive racism and a strategy we developed to combat it, the Common Ingroup Identity Model. In addition, we reveal some details about our personal and professional relationship in pursuit of our scientific agenda. We begin by discussing evidence for the existence of aversive racism, a subtle, unintentional form bias that can have pernicious effects. Then we review research concerning how a common ingroup identity can combat aversive racism by redirecting the forces of social categorization and social identity, such that “Us” and “Them” are regarded as “We.” We conclude with a brief discussion of where we may look next for clues toward helping to achieve a fairer, more just society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School integration, stimulated by the decision, has influenced students' social and educational experiences. Drawing on practice and theory, we focus on strategies for improving intergroup relations. In a series of sessions over four-weeks, 830 first and second grade children participated in Green Circle program activities designed to widen their circles of inclusion to include people who are different from themselves. Although the intervention did not influence children's biases in sharing or how happy they would be playing with others who were different from themselves based on race, sex, and weight, it did lead them to be more inclusive in selecting their most preferred playmate. Implications for friendship development and improvement in intergroup attitudes are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Contact Hypothesis has long been considered one of psychology's most effective strategies for improving intergroup relations. In this article, we review the history of the development of the Contact Hypothesis, and then we examine recent developments in this area. Specifically, we consider the conditions that are required for successful contact to occur (e.g. cooperation), investigate basic psychological processes that may mediate the consequent reductions in bias (e.g. decreased intergroup anxiety, increased common group representations), and explore factors that can facilitate the generalization of the benefits of intergroup contact in terms of more positive attitudes toward the outgroup as a whole (e.g. increased group salience). We conclude by outlining the contents of the contributions to this Special Issue on Intergroup Contact, highlighting common themes, and identifying findings that suggest directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors review a series of studies that illustrate how one form of contemporary racial bias of Whites, aversive racism, can shape different perspectives of Blacks and Whites in ways that can undermine race relations. This research demonstrates that contemporary racism among Whites is subtle, often unintentional, and unconscious but that its effects are systematically damaging to race relations by fostering miscommunication and distrust. In particular, the authors examine the effects of aversive racism on outcomes for Blacks (e.g., in selection decisions), on the ways that Whites behave in interracial interactions, in the impressions that Whites and Blacks form of each other in these interactions, and on the task efficiency of interracial dyads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors review a series of studies that illustrate how one form of contemporary racial bias of Whites, aversive racism, can shape different perspectives of Blacks and Whites in ways that can undermine race relations. This research demonstrates that contemporary racism among Whites is subtle, often unintentional, and unconscious but that its effects are systematically damaging to race relations by fostering miscommunication and distrust. In particular, the authors examine the effects of aversive racism on outcomes for Blacks (e.g., in selection decisions), on the ways that Whites behave in interracial interactions, in the impressions that Whites and Blacks form of each other in these interactions, and on the task efficiency of interracial dyads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two studies examined whether developing a common ingroup identity among Blacks and Whites can improve Whites' interracial evaluations. In Study 1, White participants interacted with a Black or White confederate under conditions designed to produce cognitive representations as fellow group members or as separate individuals. Consistent with the Common Ingroup Identity Model, Whites evaluated Blacks more favorably when they interacted with them as members of the same group than as separate individuals. Study 2, conducted as fans entered a football stadium, revealed that Whites complied more frequently with a Black interviewer's request to interview them when they shared common university affiliation, relative to when the Black interviewer was affiliated with the opposing team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article examines how the salience of group membership can moderate or diffuse feelings of stigmatization for members of racial and ethnic minorities. A series of studies is presented that demonstrate that the development of a common group identity can diffuse the effects of stigmatization, improve intergroup attitudes, and enhance institutional satisfaction and commitment among college students and faculty. Strategies and interventions designed to address the effects of stigmatization, however, need to consider the different value and importance of racial and ethnic group identities for Whites and for people of color. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines issues of changes in expressed prejudice and discrimination among students in the United States. Developments and use of the aversive-racism framework; Simulation of employment decisions to analyze racial attitudes and discrimination patterns in different conditions; Decline in expressed racial prejudice and stereotype; Influence of aversive racism on racial disparities.

We examine how cooperation among the groups of summer campers in M. Sherif, O. J. Harvey, B. J. White, W. R. Hood, and C. W. Sherif's (1961) classic Robbers Cave study produced intergroup harmony and the implications of this work for contemporary theoretical issues. Our analysis of the descriptions of the events at Robbers Cave and data from our own laboratories converge to support T. F. Pettigrew's (1998) proposal that, when viewed over time, decategorization, recategorization, and mutual intergroup differentiation processes each can contribute to the reduction of intergroup bias and conflict. Furthermore, these categorization-based approaches not only can reduce bias individually but also can facilitate each other reciprocally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examined the potentially separable contributions of 2 elements of intergroup cooperation, interaction and common fate, and the processes through which they can operate. The manipulation of interaction reduced bias in evaluative ratings, which supports the idea that these components are separable, whereas the manipulation of common fate when the groups were interacting was associated with lower bias in nonverbal facial reactions in response to contributions by in-group and out-group members. Whereas interaction activated several processes that can lead to reduced bias, including decategorization, consistent with the common in-group identity model (S. L. Gaertner, J. F. Dovidio, P. A. Anastasio, B. A. Bachman, & M. C. Rust, 1993) as well as M. Hewstone and R. J. Brown's (1986) group differentiation model, the primary set of mediators involved participants' representations of the memberships as 2 subgroups within a superordinate entity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the utility of an intergroup-relations perspective in studying stepfamily harmony. University students who identified themselves as stepfamily members completed a survey revealing that the relationship between favorable intergroup contact conditions (e.g., cooperation, equal status) and stepfamily harmony was mediated by the perception of the stepfamily as 1 group rather than 2. Additionally, a 1-group representation of the stepfamily partially mediated the relation between a positive stepparent-stepchild relationship and increased harmony. The more the stepfamily was perceived as 1 group, the greater was the stepfamily harmony. These results offer an explanatory model of stepfamily harmony, involving members' perception of social categorization within the stepfamily unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategies for reducing prejudice may be directed at the traditional, intentional form of prejudice or at more subtle and perhaps less conscious contemporary forms. Whereas the traditional form of prejudice may be reduced by direct educational and attitude-change techniques, contemporary forms may require alternative strategies oriented toward the individual or involving intergroup contact. Individual-oriented techniques can involve leading people who possess contemporary prejudices to discover inconsistencies among their self-images, values, and behaviors; such inconsistencies can arouse negative emotional states (e.g., guilt), which motivate the development of more favorable attitudes. Intergroup strategies can involve structuring intergroup contact to produce more individualized perceptions of the members of the other group, foster personalized interactions between members of the different groups, or redefine group boundaries to create more inclusive, superordinate representations of the groups. Understanding the nature and bases of prejudice can thus guide, theoretically and pragmatically, interventions that can effectively reduce both traditional and contemporary forms of prejudice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research examined factors that moderate and mediate the reduction of intergroup bias. Two 3-person laboratory groups, which had first worked separately on a task, were informed prior to intergroup contact that (a) the groups were equal or unequal in status based on their task performance, and (b) they had been working on the same or on different task dimensions. Consistent with M. Hewstone and R. J. Brown's (1986) mutual intergroup differentiation model, bias was eliminated when the groups' areas of expertise were differentiated and equally valued (i.e., in the equal status-different dimensions condition). Moreover, as expected on the basis of the common in-group identity model, more inclusive group representations mediated this effect. The findings of the present research thus offer a theoretical integration that can suggest interventions to facilitate positive intergroup contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment examined the hypothesis derived from the social categorization perspective that intergroup cooperation reduces bias by transforming members' cognitive representations of the aggregate from 2 groups to 1 group. Two 3-person groups experienced intergroup contact under conditions that varied (a) members' representations of the aggregate as 1 group or 2 groups (without involving cooperation) and (b) the presence or absence of intergroup cooperation. As expected, in the absence of cooperation, bias was lower among Ss induced to conceive of the 6 participants as 1 group rather than as 2 groups. Also as predicted, among Ss in the 2-groups condition, intergroup cooperation increased the strength of the 1-group representation and decreased bias. Multiple regression mediation analysis revealed, as expected, that members' representations mediated bias and that the 1-group representation primarily increased the attractiveness of former outgroup members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the idea that the salience of a common group or team identity will have positive consequences on performance within a coaching sport (football) team. Ninety-four high school football players from four eastern regional schools completed a survey that measured strength of identification with the team as a whole, as offensive versus defensive units, or as individual players. Results from discriminant analysis revealed a single team unity factor that predicted membership in offensive and defensive units. Analysis of variance using this team unity construct indicated that players on winning teams (as determined by season win-loss record) emphasized team unity significantly more than players on teams with losing records. Implications for the applicability of a team identification to previous notions of team cohesion are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores how the features identified by the contact hypothesis in social group research reduce intergroup bias by surveying the impressions of students attending a multi-cultural high school. Predictions derived from the common ingroup identity model; Mediation of the relation between contact and reductions in bias by cognitive representations.

This study examined the influence of merger integration patterns on expectations about the merger process. The integration patterns included the absorb, in which the merged organization closely resembled the acquiring company; the blend, in which features of both companies were maintained, and the combine, in which the organization resembled neither pre-merger company. Undergraduates role-played employees of a merging organization and written scenarios manipulated the integration pattern and membership in the acquired or acquiring organization. Participants' commitment to the merged organization was most favorable in the combine pattern. Path analyses indicated that the relationship between merger integration pattern and organizational commitment is mediated by the conditions of intergroup contact, perceptions of organizational support, organizational unity, and the degree of threat experienced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which looked at extending the benefits of recategorization. Number of participants in the study; Methodology used in the study; Discussion on the effects of group manipulation on representations.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of gender and level of belief in the just world to reactions to victims. Eighty-six female and sixty-five male college students were led to believe that their partner in a study of work groups was a victim of a sexual assault. A gender difference in the choice of specific justice-restoring strategies was observed. While high just-world males provided significantly more help to victims than controls and low just-world males did not differentiate, female subjects distanced themselves from victims by perceiving them to be less similar to themselves than controls. Findings are discussed in relation to evidence that attempts to restore justice may evoke a multitude of cognitive and behavioral responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the significance of affirmative action, why it may be needed in terms of contemporary racial attitudes, and ways of reducing intergroup conflict and tension surrounding the issue. The United States was founded on principles of social equality, and White Americans, more than ever before, are! rejecting negative stereotypes of Blacks and are endorsing the ideal of equal opportunity for all people. in addition to characterizing the personal qualities of Blacks more positively, White acceptance of Blacks across a range of formal and informal settings is at an unprecedented high. The nature of prejudice appears to have changed. Whereas traditional forms of prejudice are direct and overt, contemporary forms are indirect and subtle. According to the aversive racism perspective, many people who consciously and sincerely support egalitarian principles and believe themselves to be non-prejudiced also unconsciously harbor negative feelings and beliefs about Blacks. Consistent with the aversive racism perspective, other theories of contemporary racism and sexism also hypothesize that bias is currently expressed more subtly than in the past.

This study investigated the impact of different forms of group indispensability on majority collective action and social distance toward different immigrant groups. Specifically, we examined if perceived indispensability of different immigrant groups for the national identity, and the functioning of the society, (a) reduce social distance and (b) increase the support for collective actions benefiting immigrants, (c) by adopting different group representations (one-group, dual-identity). 172 native Portuguese completed a survey with the measures of interest. Results revealed the expected mediation. Portuguese perceptions of immigrants' indispensability were associated with less social distance and more participation in collective actions, through the adoption of more inclusive identity representations. Replicating previous studies, these positive effects were driven by different types of indispensability for the different immigrant groups, given the differences in their historical relations with the host society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Previous research has established that a face's width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is pivotal in influencing observer evaluations, as individuals with a high fWHR are perceived as intimidating along multiple dimensions. Specifically, high-fWHR individuals are considered untrustworthy, aggressive, and prejudiced. Unlike other facial features involved in intimidation, fWHR is dependent upon bone structure and thus static. The current research examines whether individuals, in an effort to appear more intimidating, increase their perceived fWHR by manipulating the angle at which their faces are viewed. In Study 1, participants spontaneously posing as “intimidating” for photos had a greater fWHR compared to when they posed for a baseline photo. Additionally, individuals with smaller baseline fWHRs, who would be particularly likely to benefit from augmenting their perceived fWHR, increased their fWHR more than individuals with larger fWHRs by tilting their heads more sharply. In Study 2 participants evaluated targets posed with their faces tilted or non-tilted. When targets were presented with their faces tilted they were evaluated as more intimidating than non-tilted baseline photos of the same target. This effect was greater for targets with larger baseline fWHRs. Up- or down-tilt and target gender differentially moderated this relationship. The current research presents evidence that individuals behaviorally manipulate their perceived fWHR in order to appear more intimidating. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The limited face-recognition research involving targets categorizable on multiple dimensions has provided contradictory evidence as to how partial-ingroup members are processed and recognized. This research demonstrates that partial-ingroup members are recognized in a manner distinct from double-ingroup and double-outgroup targets. Specifically, when race and university-affiliation are crossed, university-affiliation does not influence recognition for own-race targets, but does for other-race targets, in that other-race/own-university targets are recalled more accurately than other-race/other-university targets. The neurological mechanisms involved in the effect are explored through the inclusion of electroencephalography. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intergroup threat is regarded as a cause of negative outgroup attitudes; however, little research has attempted to examine ways of reducing intergroup threat. Two studies examine the effectiveness of a superordinate identity for reducing intergroup threat. It was predicted that when two groups were aware of a shared identity, intergroup threat would be lowered and attitudes would become more positive. In Study 1, perceptions of common identities among Black and White students were related to decreases in intergroup threat and increases in positive outgroup attitudes. In Study 2, when their shared identity as Americans was made salient, Democrats and Republicans experienced less threat and more positive outgroup attitudes compared to when political party identities alone were salient. In both studies, intergroup threat acted as a mediator of the relationship between common identity and outgroup attitudes, suggesting that a common identity increases positive outgroup attitudes by first reducing intergroup threat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This research investigated the hypothesis that better recognition for own-race than other-race faces is a result of social categorization rather than perceptual expertise. More specifically, we explored how the salience of race or university group boundaries would affect recall of faces. Using a modified facial recognition paradigm, on each trial eight Black and White faces were spatially organized either by race or university affiliation to induce categorization primarily based on one of these dimensions. When grouped by race, participants had superior recall for own-race faces and university affiliation had no effect. When grouped by university, participants had superior recall for own-university faces and race had no effect. Using identical stimuli across conditions, recall was superior for ingroup targets on the experimentally induced dimension of categorization, supportive of a social categorization based explanation of the cross-race effect. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall, there have been accusations of blatant racism in the government's response, on the one hand, and adamant denials that race played any role at all, on the other. We propose that both perspectives reflect oversimplifications of the processes involved, and the resulting debate may obscure a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the situation. Specifically, we discuss the potential roles of institutional discrimination, subtle contemporary biases, and racial mistrust. The operation of these processes is illustrated with events associated with Hurricane Katrina. In addition, drawing on these principles, we offer suggestions for present and future recovery efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the relationship between intergroup threat and negative outgroup attitudes. We first qualitatively review the intergroup threat literature, describing the shift from competing theories toward more integrated approaches, such as the integrated threat theory (ITT; W. G. Stephan and Stephan, 2000). The types of threats discussed include: realistic threat, symbolic threat, intergroup anxiety, negative stereotypes, group esteem threat, and distinctiveness threat. We then conducted a quantitative meta-analysis examining the relationships between various intergroup threats and outgroup attitudes. The meta-analysis, involving 95 samples, revealed that 5 different threat types had a positive relationship with negative outgroup attitudes. Additionally, outgroup status moderated some of these relationships. Implications and future directions are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research examined how implicit racial associations and explicit racial attitudes of Whites relate to behaviors and impressions in interracial interactions. Specifically, the authors examined how response latency and self- report measures predicted bias and perceptions of bias in verbal and nonverbal behavior exhibited by Whites while they interacted with a Black partner. As predicted, Whites' self-reported racial attitudes significantly predicted bias in their verbal behavior to Black relative to White confederates. Furthermore, these explicit attitudes predicted how much friendlier Whites felt that they behaved toward White than Black partners. In contrast, the response latency measure significantly predicted Whites' nonverbal friendliness and the extent to which the confederates and observers perceived bias in the participants' friendliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This field experiment tested whether inducing common inclusive representations (i.e., one group, dual identity) during contact influences intergroup relations differently for ethnic majority and minority children by changing their metaperceptions and intergroup emotions differently. White (N = 113) and Black (N = 111) 8- to 10-year-old children were exposed to interactive mixed-ethnicity sessions in schools emphasizing either categorization as one group (national group), dual identity (national group with ethnic subgroups), or two ethnic groups. Overall, as predicted, for White children, one-group, but not dual-identity perceptions, improved behavioral intentions by influencing metaperceptions. For Black children, dual-identity, but not one-group, perceptions improved behavioral intentions through metaperceptions. Contrary to the expected, both dual-identity and one-group perceptions were associated with White and Black children's intergroup emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social psychology highlights ingroup identity as an important determinant of intergroup attitudes and relations; however, research has demonstrated that its effects can be positive, negative, or nonexistent depending on how such identity is conceptualized. This research explores how national identity inclusiveness (Study 1) and centrality (Study 2) are associated with immigration related attitudes in school and countrywide settings, respectively. Study 1 showed that teachers' inclusive (i.e., overlapping) identities regarding their immigrant students related to positive attitudes toward these students, but not to attitudes about immigrants in general or immigration policy preferences. Study 2 found that national identity centrality was related to negative attitudes toward the social impact of immigrants, and to higher support for policies inhibiting the social inclusion of immigrants in the receiving community. Combined, these studies highlight the importance of considering different conceptualizations of ingroup identity in identifying relations to immigration‐based attitudes. Moreover, the studies highlight the value of promoting inclusive identities when aiming to improve attitudes toward immigrants. We conclude by discussing a new approach for promoting inclusive identities by framing immigrants as indispensable to the receiving community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To provide information for educators, educational psychologists, school psychologists, and social psychologists, we conducted a quantitative meta-analytic test of n = 50 studies dating from 1995 to 2015 that evaluated the effects of in-school interventions on attitudes toward outgroup members (defined as members of different ethnic or religious backgrounds or different age groups, persons with either physical or mental disabilities, or persons with other distinctive features). Overall, the analysis revealed a mean effect size of d + = 0.36 with a 95% confidence interval that ranged from 0.17 to 0.55, indicating significant, moderate intervention effects, supporting the proposition that meaningful changes in outgroup attitudes can be obtained by applying anti-bias programs in schools. Results from our analysis did not provide evidence that teacher-led interventions produce positive outcomes, yet we found that interventions delivered by researchers promote positive attitudes toward outgroup members. Further, a closer examination demonstrated that one-on-one interventions are most effective at tackling intergroup attitudes. However, classroom-wide programs are more likely to be introduced into regular school activities because of their efficiency and the limited resources available for interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has demonstrated that individuals with higher facial width-to-height ratios (fWHR) are consistently perceived negatively on numerous important interpersonal dimensions. In contrast, the current research posited that high fWHR individuals might be perceived as providing group advantages, and thus preferred in certain contexts. We examined how fWHR influences group membership selection decisions during competitive intergroup contexts. Faces with a high or low fWHR were presented in arrays, and participants were tasked with selecting group members across a variety of contexts. In Study 1, participants were more likely to select high fWHR individuals for group membership during intergroup competition. Results from the following four studies lead to the conclusion that preferences for higher fWHR individuals in competitive intergroup contexts are driven by inferences of physical strength and aggression. Thus, fWHR is perceived as a cue to attributes considered advantageous during times of intergroup conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the influence of the social identity representation of an ethnic majority-group member on physiological responses during interactions with an ethnic minority-group member. Before engaging in a collaborative task with a Moroccan-Dutch confederate, native Dutch participants studied the advantages of a “one-group” representation that emphasizes their common Dutch nationality or a “dual identity” representation that simultaneously emphasizes their different ethnic subgroups and their overarching “Dutch” nationality. During the task, cardiovascular indices of challenge and threat motivational states were measured in accordance with the biopsychosocial model (Blascovich, 2008). We found that a salient dual identity representation led to more benign cardiovascular arousal (i.e., challenge instead of threat), but only when the minority-group interaction partner also expressed preference for a dual identity. Results are discussed in terms of the fruitfulness of a dual-identity approach for improving intergroup relations, and the importance of social identity factors for turning intergroup threat into challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Physician racial bias and patient perceived discrimination have each been found to influence perceptions of and feelings about racially discordant medical interactions. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined how they may simultaneously influence the dynamics of these interactions. This study examined how (a) non-Black primary care physicians' explicit and implicit racial bias and (b) Black patients' perceived past discrimination affected physician–patient talk time ratio (i.e., the ratio of physician to patient talk time) during medical interactions and the relationship between this ratio and patients' subsequent adherence. We conducted a secondary analysis of self-report and video-recorded data from a prior study of clinical interactions between 112 low-income, Black patients and their 14 non-Black physicians at a primary care clinic in the Midwestern United States between June, 2006 and February, 2008. Overall, physicians talked more than patients; however, both physician bias and patient perceived past discrimination affected physician–patient talk time ratio. Non-Black physicians with higher levels of implicit, but not explicit, racial bias had larger physician–patient talk time ratios than did physicians with lower levels of implicit bias, indicating that physicians with more negative implicit racial attitudes talked more than physicians with less negative racial attitudes. Additionally, Black patients with higher levels of perceived discrimination had smaller physician–patient talk time ratios, indicating that patients with more negative racial attitudes talked more than patients with less negative racial attitudes. Finally, smaller physician–patient talk time ratios were associated with less patient subsequent adherence, indicating that patients who talked more during the racially discordant medical interactions were less likely to adhere subsequently. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of factors that affect the dynamics of racially discordant medical interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Physician racial bias and patient perceived discrimination have each been found to influence perceptions of and feelings about racially discordant medical interactions. However, to our knowledge, no studies have examined how they may simultaneously influence the dynamics of these interactions. This study examined how (a) non-Black primary care physicians' explicit and implicit racial bias and (b) Black patients' perceived past discrimination affected physician–patient talk time ratio (i.e., the ratio of physician to patient talk time) during medical interactions and the relationship between this ratio and patients' subsequent adherence. We conducted a secondary analysis of self-report and video-recorded data from a prior study of clinical interactions between 112 low-income, Black patients and their 14 non-Black physicians at a primary care clinic in the Midwestern United States between June, 2006 and February, 2008. Overall, physicians talked more than patients; however, both physician bias and patient perceived past discrimination affected physician–patient talk time ratio. Non-Black physicians with higher levels of implicit, but not explicit, racial bias had larger physician–patient talk time ratios than did physicians with lower levels of implicit bias, indicating that physicians with more negative implicit racial attitudes talked more than physicians with less negative racial attitudes. Additionally, Black patients with higher levels of perceived discrimination had smaller physician–patient talk time ratios, indicating that patients with more negative racial attitudes talked more than patients with less negative racial attitudes. Finally, smaller physician–patient talk time ratios were associated with less patient subsequent adherence, indicating that patients who talked more during the racially discordant medical interactions were less likely to adhere subsequently. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the context of factors that affect the dynamics of racially discordant medical interactions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present three studies examining whether male facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is correlated with racial prejudice and whether observers are sensitive to fWHR when assessing prejudice in other people. Our results indicate that males with a greater fWHR are more likely to explicitly endorse racially prejudicial beliefs, though fWHR was unrelated to implicit bias. Participants evaluated targets with a greater fWHR as more likely to be prejudiced and accurately evaluated the degree to which targets reported prejudicial attitudes. Finally, compared with majority-group members, racial-minority participants reported greater motivation to accurately evaluate prejudice. This motivation mediated the relationship between minority- or majority-group membership and the accuracy of evaluations of prejudice, which indicates that motivation augments sensitivity to fWHR. Together, the results of these three studies demonstrate that fWHR is a reliable indicator of explicitly endorsed racial prejudice and that observers can use fWHR to accurately assess another person’s explicit prejudice. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This experiment explored whether the benefits of a complete recategorization and a dual identity might effectively be translated into an intervention program designed to reduce prejudice among European Portuguese and African Portuguese 9- to 11-year-old children. Participants interacted for 45 minutes in weekly sessions for a month. One month after the last interaction, measures were administered to the children. Results revealed that only recategorization reduced prejudice over time relative to the control condition. Consistent with a functional perspective regarding which representation would most effectively promote their group's goals, a one-group representation was more effective for the African Portuguese minority group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A chart is presented that shows a review of intergroup threat and outgroup attitudes of human personalities.

This experiment examined the effectiveness of one-group and dual-identity recategorization strategies on reducing intergroup bias among 180 European Portuguese and African Portuguese 9- and 10-year-old children. Results revealed that each of these recategorization strategies, relative to one that emphasized separate group identities, was successful in producing positive attitudes toward the outgroup children present during the session, the outgroup as a whole, and the outgroup as a whole three weeks later. Consistent with a functional perspective regarding which representation would most effectively promote their group's goals, a dual identity was more effective for the European Portuguese majority group, whereas a one-group identity was more effective for the African Portuguese minority group. Additional analyses explored a model of the process of generalization that formally links attitudes toward the outgroup as a whole to the attitudes toward outgroup members present during contact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Medical interactions between Black patients and nonBlack physicians are usually less positive and productive than same-race interactions. We investigated the role that physician explicit and implicit biases play in shaping physician and patient reactions in racially discordant medical interactions. We hypothesized that whereas physicians’ explicit bias would predict their own reactions, physicians’ implicit bias, in combination with physician explicit (self-reported) bias, would predict patients’ reactions. Specifically, we predicted that patients would react most negatively when their physician fit the profile of an aversive racist (i.e., low explicit–high implicit bias). The hypothesis about the effects of explicit bias on physicians’ reactions was partially supported. The aversive racism hypothesis received support. Black patients had less positive reactions to medical interactions with physicians relatively low in explicit but relatively high in implicit bias than to interactions with physicians who were either: (a) low in both explicit and implicit bias, or (b) high in both explicit and implicit bias. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper explores the role of racial bias toward Blacks in interracial relations, and in racial disparities in health care in the United States. Our analyses of these issues focuses primarily on studies of prejudice published in the past 10 years and on health disparity research published since the report of the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) Panel on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care in 2003. Recent social psychological research reveals that racial biases occur implicitly, without intention or awareness, as well as explicitly, and these implicit biases have implications for understanding how interracial interactions frequently produce mistrust. We further illustrate how this perspective can illuminate and integrate findings from research on disparities and biases in health care, addressing the orientations of both providers and patients. We conclude by considering future directions for research and intervention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aversive racism framework (S. L. Gaertner & J. F. Dovidio, 1986) suggests that bias against Blacks is most likely to be expressed by Whites when it can be explained or justified along non-racial grounds. The present experiment adopted a 2 (Evidence: admissible vs. inadmissible) × 2 (Defendant Race: White vs. Black) between subjects design, asking White participants, whose self-reported prejudice was assessed, to judge a legal case. As predicted, increased guilt ratings and longer sentencing recommendations were forwarded for the Black (vs. White) defendant only when DNA evidence linking the defendant to the crime had previously been ruled inadmissible. This result was not qualified by self-report racial attitudes. The implications for evidence inadmissibility in interracial contexts are considered, along with the repercussions of finding experimental evidence of aversive racism outside of North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilized a factorial survey design to assess attitudes toward affirmative action as a function of targeted group (Black, handicapped, or elderly persons), framing of the policy (with or without social justification), and institutional context (business, college, or social organization). Resistance to affirmative action was aroused more by policies specifying Blacks as the targeted group and by policies presented without justification. Supportive of the aversive racism framework, the level of resistance to the policies presented without justification for Blacks as the target group was higher than for all other targeted groups with or without justification. Implications for these findings for strategies to reduce negative attitudes toward affirmative action are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]