Learning Goals Mitigate Identity Threat for Black Individuals in Threatening Interracial Interactions

• Published in: Cultural diversity & ethnic minority psychology 2021-04, Vol.27 (2), p.201-213
• Main Authors: Green, Dorainne J., Wout, Daryl A., Murphy, Mary C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Black People; Continental Population Groups; Ethnic Identity; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Friendship; Goals; Human; Humans; Intergroup Dynamics; Interracial Interactions; Learning; Male; Motivation; Racial and Ethnic Attitudes; Racial and Ethnic Relations; Social Identification; Social Identity; Social Networks; Test Construction; Threat; White People
• ISSN: 1099-9809; 1939-0106
• DOI: 10.1037/cdp0000331

Objective: Interactions between members of different racial and ethnic groups are often stressful. These interactions are stressful, in part, because they contribute to social identity threat-the fear of being judged or treated negatively based on one's social group membership. Previous work separately suggests that the diversity of an interaction partner's friendship network and the goals that people set for themselves influence social identity threat. Bringing these two bodies of work together, the present research examines whether adopting a learning (vs. performance) goal mitigates identity threat for Black people anticipating an interaction with a White partner who had a racially homogenous (vs. diverse) friendship network (a context previously shown to arouse identity threat). Method: Two experimental studies (N = 310) were conducted. Black adults (Mage = 29.66, 64% women) primed with either a performance or learning goal anticipated an interaction with a White partner who had either a racially diverse (Study 1) or racially homogenous (Studies 1 and 2) friendship network. After, we assessed participants' social identity threat and anticipated interaction experiences. Results: Black adults primed with learning (vs. performance) goals expected to be perceived more positively by their interaction partner and expected to have more positive interaction experiences when they anticipated an interaction with a White partner who had a racially homogenous network of friends. Conclusions: These findings suggest that learning goals can mitigate threat among Black individuals within an otherwise identity-threatening interaction context, thus opening the door for positive interracial contact in the future even in the context of challenging interracial interactions. Public Significance Statement One of the challenges of a diverse society is that interracial interactions can be difficult and uncomfortable; thus, many people avoid them. Yet, research documents many benefits to a truly integrated society. It is therefore important to investigate strategies that foster more comfortable interactions-even in the context of the most challenging interracial situations. Results from our research suggest that adopting learning (vs. performance) goals may be effective in reducing threat and promoting positive interactions for Black individuals.