Master's Theses

Department

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the attitudes of people toward individuals displayed as members of same race pairs and interracial pairs. Within this design, the issues of race versus belief congruence controversy and the effects of the degree of intimacy upon that controversy were addressed. The Triandis’ Behavioral Differential scales with stimuli displayed in photographic slides were used as the dependent measure. Subjects were 94 white students (41 males, 53 females) from lower division social science courses. The subjects were asked to indicate their beliefs regarding interracial marriage (for, neutral, against) approximately one month prior to the second phase of the study. In the second phase of the experiment the subjects were asked to rate the stimuli displayed in colored photographic slides using 15 Behavioral Differential scales modified for use with stimuli in photographic slides. The subjects were divided into two groups, with the subjects in Group A instructed to assume that the stimuli in the same race pairs did not believe in interracial marriage and those displayed in the interracial pairs did. Group B subjects were instructed that the same race pairs did believe in interracial marriage and that the interracial pairs did not. The results necessary to provide conclusive evidence regarding the race versus belief controversy and the effects of intimacy upon those beliefs were not significant. However, it was found that there are significant differences in the ways that males and females respond to the stimuli in the same pairs and mixed race pairs and that females generally rated the stimuli more positively than males. Strong support was provided for the use of Triandis’ Behavioral Differential Scales with photographic slides.

Keywords

Psychology

Advisor

Thomas L. Wenke

Date of Award

Summer 1981

Document Type

Thesis - campus only access

Rights

© The Author(s)

Comments

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