This study examined perceptions among non-racists, aversive racists, and blatant racists of differentially-performing African-American employees and the effects of the evaluation manipulation on future hiring decisions of an African-American applicant. Using a procedure for categorizing participants into one of these three racism groups, which utilized both implicit and explicit measures of racism, an internet-based sample (n = 221) rated the job performance of a European- or African-American incumbent law associate in a positive or mediocre performance condition and then provided performance ratings of the incumbent associate. Participants also evaluated a moderately-qualified African-American's hireability. Racism group, incumbent performance, and incumbent race were hypothesized to interact to differentially affect mediocre-performing African-American incumbent performance ratings and African-American applicant hireability and qualification ratings. The hypothesized three-way interactions were not significant. However, a significant two-way interaction of incumbent race X incumbent performance was found for incumbent performance ratings, F(1, 191) = 6.06, p = .015, ηp2 = .031, and African-American applicant hireability, F(1, 191) = 7.31, p = .007, ηp2 = .037. Hierarchical regression analyses probing the interactions showed that the positive-performing African-American incumbent's performance was rated significantly higher than the positive-performing European-American's performance, simple slope = .13, SE = .10, t = 2.10, p = .037. Participants also rated an African-American job applicant's hireability lower after viewing a mediocre-performing African-American incumbent, as compared to a mediocre-performing European-American incumbent, simple slope = -.18, SE = .14, t = -2.36, p = .019. These findings are consistent with the theoretical tenets of aversive racism. This study also explored the political ideologies of non-racists, aversive racists, and blatant racists. Using chi-square analysis, the political ideologies (conservative or liberal) of the three racist groups were significantly different, χ2 (2) = 43.03, p < .001. The majority of non-racists and aversive racists identified as liberal, whereas the majority of blatant racists identified as conservative. Although several key hypotheses were not supported, this study did provide further distinctions between aversive racists, blatant racists, and non-racists. Although differences were not found between the racism groups, the pattern of findings is suggestive of aversive racism. Furthermore, the finding that aversive racists were predominantly liberal supported previous findings concerning aversive racists' political ideologies.

This study examined whether the disproportionality of African American children referred to special education is influenced by the level of implicit racial bias among teachers, using the aversive racism theory. Data were collected from teachers of kindergarten through sixth grade in the Iowa City Community School District through email recruitment. Using a factorial survey design, teachers evaluated five vignettes, each with five questions mirroring the referral process to special education, an implicit and explicit racial bias measure, and demographics. Of the 307 teachers emailed, only 21 completed the full survey. The small sample size hindered the analysis due to violations of two of the major assumptions of linear regression: normality and constant variance. Due to these violations, only limited interpretations can be concluded from the linear models. A logistic regression was also completed on the referral for special education dependent variable and yielded the following significant results: The teachers who scored high on the explicit racism measure were more likely to refer a child to a special education assessment and other results revealed associations between certain characteristics and behaviors of the children and their likelihood of referral. The majority of teachers in the sample (67%) scored high in implicit racial bias but none of the models indicates a relationship between the child's race and referral to special education. The study suggests there is some connection between implicit racial bias and referrals to special education but not due to race. However, the complexity of relationships among these and other factors in both interpersonal relationships and classroom dynamics makes it necessary to further investigate this question and potentially remedy the problem of disproportionality in special education.

This ethnography explores the interracial encounters between individuals in a biracial old-line Protestant congregation. Using the theoretical framework of aversive racism, this dissertation suggests that an individual's racial paranoia and racial identity attitude helps to explain the way that white members interact with black members and the way they perceive these encounters. This dissertation addresses the questions: How do members of a biracial congregation interact across race? How do they engage in discussions about race? How does racial identity attitude inform their perspectives? It draws upon data collected over two periods: a two-month pilot study and a nine-month dissertation study. Data include field notes from more than 240 hours of observations during 80 visits, and transcripts of interviews with 17 people (nine black, eight white; two pastors, two staff, 13 members; ages 21 to 76) which averaged 2½-hours each. This dissertation describes three findings. (1) White members have learned to comfortably co-exist with black members in worship but have not developed deep enough relationships to learn from them the extent of racism that survives in the post Civil Rights era. (2) Misconceptions among white members about what is "politically correct" stifle constructive interracial dialogue about race issues and lead to aversive behaviors that have a racist effect for African American members. (3) With only modest social interaction across race and little dialogue about race, white members of the congregation hold markedly different perceptions than black members about the interracial life of this church and the problem with racism there. These findings are significant because they help us to understand the obstacles which this nation must address in order to respond to the complexities of race in urban America, of which this congregation offers a microcosm. / Urban Education