title: Purpose in life as a resource for increasing comfort with ethnic diversity.
abstract: Emerging demographic trends signal that White Americans will soon relinquish their majority status. As Whites' acclimation to an increasingly diverse society is poised to figure prominently in their adjustment, identifying sources of greater comfort with diversity is important. Three studies (N = 519) revealed evidence that purpose in life bolsters comfort with ethnic diversity among White adults. Specifically, dispositional purpose was positively related to diversity attitudes and attenuated feelings of threat resulting from viewing demographic projections of greater diversity. In addition, when primed experimentally, purpose attenuated participants' preferences for living in an ethnically homogeneous-White city, relative to a more diverse city when shown maps displaying ethno-demographic information. These effects persisted after controlling for positive affect and perceived connections to ethnic out-groups, suggesting the robust influence of purpose. Potential benefits of situating purpose as a unique resource for navigating an increasingly diverse society are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA alb325@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Anthony L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Burrow
authors.affiliation: Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Maclen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.affiliation: Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sumner
authors.affiliation: Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012938:Social Perception; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: decision making; diversity attitudes; ethnic diversity; purpose in life