Brianna Clark

Misconceptions in the Media: White Women's Meta-stereotypes, Emotions, Vigilance, and Allyship After Viewing Negative and Positive Interracial Interactions

White women who observe an ingroup member’s racist behavior in an interracial interaction may fear that they will be associated with negative ingroup stereotypes by racial outgroup members. However, White women who witness an ingroup member act as an ally in an interracial interaction may believe that they will be perceived as an ally and may motivate them to engage in future interracial interactions. This pre-registered research explored the implications of witnessing negative or positive interracial interactions with a Black or White coworker on White women’s cognitions and emotions. In an online study, White women (N = 299) were randomly assigned to imagine interacting with a Black or White woman while watching a media clip of a Black woman who has negative or positive contact with a White woman. Then, participants completed dependent measures. White women anticipated more negative emotions, cognitions, and coping strategies when imagining interacting with a Black (vs. White) woman. White women who viewed the negative video also anticipated more negative emotions and cognitions after witnessing the negative interracial encounter and had heightened vigilance toward characteristics of the interaction. These results highlight the role media representations play in White women’s perceptions of interracial interactions, and how such representations can predict White women’s engagement in future interracial interactions.