Framing inequity safely: Whites' motivated perceptions of racial privilege.
Racial inequity was theorized to threaten Whites' self-image when inequity is framed as White privilege but not when framed as anti-Black discrimination. Manipulations of Whites' need for self-regard were hypothesized to affect their perceptions of White privilege but not of anti-Black discrimination. In Experiment 1, White participants reported less privilege when given threatening (vs. affirming) feedback on an intelligence or personality test; in contrast, perceptions of anti-Black discrimination were unaffected by self-concept manipulations. In Experiment 2, threatening (vs. affirming) feedback decreased privilege perceptions only among Whites high in racial identity. Using a value-based self-affirmation manipulation, Experiment 3 replicated the effect of self-image concerns on Whites' perceptions of privilege and provided evidence that self-concerns, through their effect on perceived privilege, influence Whites' support for redistributive social policies.
Lowery
Brian S
BS
Stanford University, USA. blowery@stanford.edu
Knowles
Eric D
ED
Unzueta
Miguel M
MM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011287:Prejudice; D011822:Race Relations; D012649:Self Concept; D012930:Social Dominance; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*; D001741:Black or African American