High Quality Interracial Interaction Predicts Weak Implicit Racial Bias, But Only in Big Cities

• In Event: 4467 - Section on Social Psychology Refereed Roundtables (Cosponsored with Section on Sociology of Emotions)
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 6: Race and Bias

Abstract

Psychology scholars have reported that interracial contact predicts lower than usual implicit racial bias. However, methodological issues weaken this body of research. Many relevant studies rely on small, homogeneous samples of college students, as well as instruments and study designs that are susceptible to social desirability. Further, while this research begins the vital work of uncovering the social roots of implicit racial bias, it examines interpersonal contact to the exclusion of other social factors. The present study applies improved methods to reconsider how various forms of interracial contact -- as well as other social experiences and characteristics -- interact with implicit bias. Ordinary least square regression analysis of a representative sample of 375 white Americans shows that high quality interactions with Black, Latinx, and nonwhite people overall predicts low anti-Black IRB -- but only for people living in big cities. This finding stands up to controls for age, gender, region of residence, highest level of education, and political ideology. I conclude that interventions that work to increase interracial contact may not be the most effective at mitigating nationwide levels of implicit bias against African Americans. Instead, place-specific responses may be most impactful.

Author

• Kristen Nelson, UC Berkeley