Color-blind? Whites aware of their bias better for modern race issues, says new study

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-07/uov-cwa071415.php

Public Release: 15-Jul-2015
University of Vermont

Some white Americans like to pat themselves on the back for being racially color-blind. But a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology finds that whites aware of their biases are better equipped to address contemporary racial challenges, where prejudice is often expressed in subtle, unintentional and unconscious ways.

"Our society is filled with negative stereotypes associated with blacks, and whites' attitudes and behaviors can't help but be affected, although often in ways they're not clearly aware of," said Sylvia Perry, assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Science at the University of Vermont and the lead author of the study.

"The first step towards reducing these subtle biases and correcting behavior that is sometimes unintentionally hurtful, our research shows, is personal awareness, internalizing the fact that you may have subtle biases," she said.

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The key factor in developing what the study calls "concerned awareness" of racial bias is acceptance, Perry said. "If you accept these things in yourself, you're on the road to making things better."

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The study also questions the effectiveness of one-size-fits all anti-bias training.

Training that takes into account individuals' levels of bias awareness, alone or in combination with the degree of their prejudice and motivation to reduce prejudice, will result in more effective and targeted anti-bias interventions and programs, the study states.

"Not everyone can be confronted with feedback about their bias and then just walk away and do better," Perry said. "Some people might need to talk it through and see what it means personally for them. Otherwise there could be backlash."