Going for Woke: White Americans Downshift Conservatism in Interracial Settings

Going for Woke: White Americans Downshift Conservatism in Interracial Settings. Olivia Foster-Gimbel. Society for Personality and Social Psychology, conference 2021, Feb 10, 2021. https://whova.com/embedded/subsession/cecli_202103/1447262/1447263/

Description: For White Americans, interracial interactions can induce concerns about appearing prejudiced, prompting behavioral shifts in interracial (versus same-race) interactions (Bergsieker et al., 2010; Dupree & Fiske, 2018) . The current research tests whether White Americans shift their self-presentation of political preferences when responding to a Black versus a White interaction partner. In four studies (N=3125), White participants created a profile that they believed would be forwarded to a presumed-real Black or White partner. Meta-analysis revealed that White Americans presented themselves as less supportive of conservative policies and politicians when responding to a Black (versus White) interaction partner. This effect was mediated by perceptions of partner ideology. White Americans perceived a Black partner as significantly less conservative than a White partner, driving this “conservative downshift”. Finally, Black Americans (n = 337) were more willing to interact with a White partner who downshifted conservatism, rating them as more likeable and less biased. White Americans’ political preferences shift based on the audience, with consequences for interracial affiliation.