Cross-Generational Perceptions of Interracial, Interpolitical, and Interreligious Relationships

Poster Number

072

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

We examined adults’ perceptions of interracial, interreligious, and interpolitical relationships across ages. We hypothesized that younger adults would be more accepting of interracial and interreligious relationships, while older adults would be more accepting of interpolitical relationships. Participants were 197 adults (77% women; 77% Caucasian) with an age range of 18 to 75 and a mean of 36.98 (SD = 15.02). Participants responded to a scale that assessed attitudes toward interracial romantic relationships. Participants then responded to the same scale; however, “interracial” was replaced with “interreligious.” Interreligious was defined as two people of different religious belief systems. We then took the same questions and used the term “interpolitical,” defining it as two people with different political belief systems. Participants also ranked how important race, politics, and religion are when choosing a romantic partner. In addition, we asked participants to rate how important they thought those same factors would be to other age groups. We divided participants into three age categories: 18-40 (young adult), 41-60 (middle adult); 60-75 (older adult). Results revealed that adults of all ages find religion to be the most important factor and race to be a less important factor when selecting a romantic partner. Adults misperceived other age categories by assuming that politics would be most important to young adults, and race would be most important to older adults. Interestingly, when we asked participants to guess what other people in their own age group would value, middle adults were the only group that had accurate self-perceptions.

Honors Thesis Committee

Merry Sleigh, Ph.D.; Darren Ritzer, Ph.D.; and Donna Nelson, Ph.D

Start Date

12-4-2019 2:15 PM

End Date

April 2019

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Apr 12th, 2:15 PM Apr 12th, 4:15 PM

Cross-Generational Perceptions of Interracial, Interpolitical, and Interreligious Relationships

Richardson Ballroom – DiGiorgio Campus Center

We examined adults’ perceptions of interracial, interreligious, and interpolitical relationships across ages. We hypothesized that younger adults would be more accepting of interracial and interreligious relationships, while older adults would be more accepting of interpolitical relationships. Participants were 197 adults (77% women; 77% Caucasian) with an age range of 18 to 75 and a mean of 36.98 (SD = 15.02). Participants responded to a scale that assessed attitudes toward interracial romantic relationships. Participants then responded to the same scale; however, “interracial” was replaced with “interreligious.” Interreligious was defined as two people of different religious belief systems. We then took the same questions and used the term “interpolitical,” defining it as two people with different political belief systems. Participants also ranked how important race, politics, and religion are when choosing a romantic partner. In addition, we asked participants to rate how important they thought those same factors would be to other age groups. We divided participants into three age categories: 18-40 (young adult), 41-60 (middle adult); 60-75 (older adult). Results revealed that adults of all ages find religion to be the most important factor and race to be a less important factor when selecting a romantic partner. Adults misperceived other age categories by assuming that politics would be most important to young adults, and race would be most important to older adults. Interestingly, when we asked participants to guess what other people in their own age group would value, middle adults were the only group that had accurate self-perceptions.