Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Factors of Attitudes Toward Interracial Relationships

Rutledge

Interracial relationships have been viewed as taboo for years, however there has been a substantial increase in interracial unions in recent decades. In the current study, we were interested in investigating the factors that shape the attitudes toward interracial relationships. We conducted a survey measuring previous ethnic exposure, Cultural Mistrust, and overall attitudes toward interracial unions of the participant and the participant's parent(s); we drew from a sample of mainly female, college-aged students. We hypothesized that more ethnic exposure and less Cultural Mistrust would lead to more positive attitudes. We conducted several regression analyses to predict overall attitudes of the self and the parent. It was found that previous ethnic exposure did not predict attitudes toward interracial unions, but level of Cultural Mistrust was negatively correlated with the participant's attitudes toward interracial relationships. This shows that lower levels of Cultural Mistrust lead to more positive attitudes toward interracial unions. This expands the knowledge of factors contributing to the formation of attitudes and acceptance of interracial unions.