Racial-ethnic socialization is a largely unstudied topic for White Americans. Most of the research on racial-ethnic socialization (RES) focuses on minority populations, but more literature is starting to focus on RES in White individuals. However, the mechanisms by which RES messages are transmitted are understudied. This study examined how prior parental RES strategies (i.e., egalitarianism, history of other groups, group differences, preparation for bias, general discrimination, and discrimination against other groups) impacted White college students’ own attitudes towards ethnic-racial minorities (i.e., racist, colorblind, and multicultural) and how these attitudes influenced inclusive (and non-inclusive) behavior, psychosocial costs of racism (White empathic reactions towards racism, White guilt, and White fear of others), and implicit biases. Findings showed that group differences and preparation for bias strategies were significantly associated with racist and color-blind attitudes. Results for socialization strategies regarding egalitarian messages and discrimination were mixed. Racist and color-blind attitudes resulted in less inclusive behavior and mixed findings for psychosocial costs (less guilt, less empathy, more fear), whereas multicultural attitudes resulted in less psychosocial costs (less fear and guilt). Results suggest that colorblindness is a particularly dangerous racial attitude, as it is complicit in perpetuating racism by failing to address the reality of racial inequality. The results of this study can be used to target mechanisms for intervention and provide guidance on how to prevent the intergenerational transmission of racism and promote antiracism.
","abstract_html":"<p>Racial-ethnic socialization is a largely unstudied topic for White Americans. Most of the research on racial-ethnic socialization (RES) focuses on minority populations, but more literature is starting to focus on RES in White individuals. However, the mechanisms by which RES messages are transmitted are understudied. This study examined how prior parental RES strategies (i.e., egalitarianism, history of other groups, group differences, preparation for bias, general discrimination, and discrimination against other groups) impacted White college students’ own attitudes towards ethnic-racial minorities (i.e., racist, colorblind, and multicultural) and how these attitudes influenced inclusive (and non-inclusive) behavior, psychosocial costs of racism (White empathic reactions towards racism, White guilt, and White fear of others), and implicit biases. Findings showed that group differences and preparation for bias strategies were significantly associated with racist and color-blind attitudes. Results for socialization strategies regarding egalitarian messages and discrimination were mixed. Racist and color-blind attitudes resulted in less inclusive behavior and mixed findings for psychosocial costs (less guilt, less empathy, more fear), whereas multicultural attitudes resulted in less psychosocial costs (less fear and guilt). Results suggest that colorblindness is a particularly dangerous racial attitude, as it is complicit in perpetuating racism by failing to address the reality of racial inequality. The results of this study can be used to target mechanisms for intervention and provide guidance on how to prevent the intergenerational transmission of racism and promote antiracism.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Rodil, Julia C."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Psychology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Alan Meca","James F. Paulson","Bryan E. Porter"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2020,"date_issued":"2020-10-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2020-10-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:38Z","subjects":["College students","Colorblindness","Racial bias","Racial-ethnic socialization","Racism","White youth","Developmental Psychology","Family, Life Course, and Society","Race and Ethnicity","Social Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
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"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Racial Socialization in Non-Hispanic White American Families: An Exploration of the Role of Parental Racial-Ethnic Socialization"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Alan Meca","James F. Paulson","Bryan E. Porter"],"dc:creator":["Rodil, Julia C."],"dc:date.available":["2021-05-27T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Racial-ethnic socialization is a largely unstudied topic for White Americans. Most of the research on racial-ethnic socialization (RES) focuses on minority populations, but more literature is starting to focus on RES in White individuals. However, the mechanisms by which RES messages are transmitted are understudied. This study examined how prior parental RES strategies (i.e., egalitarianism, history of other groups, group differences, preparation for bias, general discrimination, and discrimination against other groups) impacted White college students’ own attitudes towards ethnic-racial minorities (i.e., racist, colorblind, and multicultural) and how these attitudes influenced inclusive (and non-inclusive) behavior, psychosocial costs of racism (White empathic reactions towards racism, White guilt, and White fear of others), and implicit biases. Findings showed that group differences and preparation for bias strategies were significantly associated with racist and color-blind attitudes. Results for socialization strategies regarding egalitarian messages and discrimination were mixed. Racist and color-blind attitudes resulted in less inclusive behavior and mixed findings for psychosocial costs (less guilt, less empathy, more fear), whereas multicultural attitudes resulted in less psychosocial costs (less fear and guilt). Results suggest that colorblindness is a particularly dangerous racial attitude, as it is complicit in perpetuating racism by failing to address the reality of racial inequality. The results of this study can be used to target mechanisms for intervention and provide guidance on how to prevent the intergenerational transmission of racism and promote antiracism.
"],"dc:identifier":["9798515246921","https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/psychology_etds/365"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
"],"dc:subject":["College students","Colorblindness","Racial bias","Racial-ethnic socialization","Racism","White youth","Developmental Psychology","Family, Life Course, and Society","Race and Ethnicity","Social Psychology"],"dc:title":["Racial Socialization in Non-Hispanic White American Families: An Exploration of the Role of Parental Racial-Ethnic Socialization"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Psychology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:35:38Z"}