This study will attempt to explore interracial relationships’ impact on openness to other cultures. Researchers plan to evaluate individual’s openness to other cultures, dating experiences, and attitudes towards interracial dating. Interracial relationships impact on openness to other cultures is a topic that has not been directly explored. Past research on interracial relations and the impact on multicultural sensitivity have been explored and signified a positive correlation. In addition, previous literature indicates that interracial contact can lead to an effective perspective on other cultures.
Physical attractiveness is one of the leading factors as it pertains to who we date whether intraracially or interracially dating. Current research intends to use Structural Theory and Racial Motivation Theory to support why individuals interracially date. In addition, researchers will use Gordon Allport’s social contact theory to support that interracial contact breeds positive attitudes towards other races thereby increasing openness to other cultures. By taking this approach, researchers hypothesize that African Americans who engage in interracial relationships are more open to other cultures than individuals who do not.
Method Participants Researchers observed 69 undergraduate students from an HBCU from the east coast. Participants consisted of strictly African Americans as researchers made this criterion to engage in the study. Amongst the participants 28 males and 41 females were evaluated. This study consisted of 46. 4 % freshman, 27. 5% sophomore, 20. 3% juniors, and 5. 8% seniors. Researchers recruited participants from an Introduction to Psychology classes and offered participants extra credit as compensation to cooperate in the study. Measures An experimental design was used to determine if interracial dating impacts openness to other cultures.
Researchers created vignettes of scenarios involving couples of different races with different backgrounds to create a manipulation to assess participants’ views. In addition, a quasi-experimental design evaluated the participants’ experiences of dating outside their race and analyzed their openness to other cultures. Vignettes consisted of statements like, Matthew is likely to be more attracted to African American women than White women: Dating outside of his race is probably a phase for Matthew that he will outgrow; and Dating outside of her race is probably a phase for Kendra that she will outgrow.
Participants personal interracial dating history and openness to other cultures measures included statements like, I would never date outside of my race: I enjoy learning about cultures other than my own: I have a lot in common with Whites in the United States: and I have more in common with people who are of the same socioeconomic class than people of the same race/ethnicity as me. Participants responded to statements using a 5 point Likert Scale ranging from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree. In addition to vignettes and questionnaires researchers gathered demographic information from participants.
Procedures Researchers initially received permission from professors to survey participants from their Introduction to Psychology class and to receive extra credit. Once permission was approved researchers gathered participants at the end of class. Once class ended, researchers approached students asking them to take a few minutes to complete a survey in exchange for extra credit. Results Descriptive Statistics This study measured the results of 69 participants. Amongst the participants 40. 6% were males and 59. 4% were females.
The study required students to identify their classifications 59. % were freshman, 27. 5% were sophomores, 20. 3% juniors, and 5. 8% identified as seniors. Amidst the participants, 13% identified as working class, lower middle class was 13%, middle class 53. 6%, upper middle class 17. 4%, and upper class was 2. 9% Participants were placed in conditions based on the vignettes (see Appendix A). 24. 6% of participants partook in the Black woman and White man condition, 26. 1% were placed in the Black man and White woman condition, 24. 6% cooperated in the Black woman and Latino woman condition, and 24. 6% participated in the Black man and Latino woman condition.
Correlational Analysis In the current study the independent variable was interracial dating and the dependent variable was openness to other cultures. A correlational analysis was done to determine the relationship between interracial dating and openness to other cultures. The results from the experimental design using vignettes revealed a negative correlation between interracial dating and openness, r = -. 079, N= 69, p =. 518. The relationship between variables lacked statistical significance. Therefore, this study could not conclude that interracial dating leads to cultural openness.
Findings of the quasi experimental design measuring whether the participants dated outside their race and their cultural openness concluded a small positive correlation, r=. 216, N=69, p =. 074. The current study indicated approaching statistical significance amongst the relationship between interracially dating and openness to other cultures. In contrast to the experimental design, the quasi experimental design displayed a small positive correlation, suggesting that dating outside your race increased openness to other cultures.
Furthermore, the experimental design analyzed the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and the vignettes as well as the openness score. Results signified there were not a significant relationship between the SES of participants and the vignettes, r=. 156, N=69, p=. 202. In regards to the relationship between SES and Openness the relationship was approaching statistical significance, r= 222, N=69, P=. 067. However, there was a small positive correlation between SES, vignettes, and openness to other cultures.
Researchers can infer that as SES increases openness to other cultures and interracial dating increase. The quasi experimental design regarding SES examined the relationship between openness score and whether they have dated outside their race. Findings concluded there was not a significant correlation between SES and whether the participant dated outside their race, r=. 181, N=69, p=. 137. Moreover, researchers concluded that the relationship between SES and Openness was statistically insignificant as well, r=. 038, N=69, p=. 757.
The finding could suggest that since there is a small positive correlation between SES and dating interracially researchers can infer that as SES increases the likelihood of dating outside your race increases. In addition, there is a small negative correlation between SES and openness to other cultures. These findings can suggest that as SES decreases openness to other cultures decreased. ANOVA The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was done in order to determine whether there are any significant differences amongst the conditions presented in the vignettes.
The ANOVA revealed that there was no significant differences between conditions presented in the vignettes. There was no impact of interracial dating on openness to other cultures at the p>. 05 level for the four conditions, F (17,69)= 1. 095, p=. 383. The assessment on cultural openness using the experimental design scores ranged from 12 to 60. Low score indicated a correlation of high cultural openness, while high score indicated little to no culture openness. The four conditions indicated that the Black woman and White man (M= 30. 1), Black man and White woman (M=30. 33), Black woman and Hispanic man (M= 28. 41), and Black woman and Hispanic man (M=30. 35) no significant group differences. The mean score was similar throughout the conditions signifying no distinctions amongst the conditions. The Analysis of Variance revealed no significant group differences between those who dated outside their race, F (22, 69) = 1. 027, p=. 454. The participants experience with dating interracially and their openness to other culture score ranged from 16 to 80.
Their participants who answered yes to interracially dating (M=31. 62) compared to those who answered no (M=33. 94) were similar in mean score supporting no group difference. In addition, there were no gender group differences amidst the quasi experimental design [F (16, 69) = 1. 434, p=. 276]. The ANOVA indicated that the mean score for the males (M=1. 086) and females (M=. 898) were not significantly different. Cronbach’s Alpha The Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability of the measure by examining the correlation of each item in the measure with other items.
The experimental design assessed the participants’ interpretation of the couples presented in the vignettes openness to other cultures which signified a score of. 495. These finding indicate that our measure cannot be reliable to conclude a relationship between interracial dating and openness to other cultures. The quasi experimental design using participants’ personal interracial dating experience to measure the impact openness to other cultures was . 552. In addition, the experimental design and quasi experimental design measures were not reliable in concluding a relationship between variables.
Discussion Implications The results of the present study were that there was no statistical significance. There was an insufficient amount of participants in each condition from the vignettes. A study with internal validity requires 20 or more participants in each condition. The current study consisted of 17 to 18 participants per condition due to the occurrence of participants not identifying as Black or the incompletion of measures. The lack of individuals in each condition might have been a factor resulting to the insignificance of the researcher’s findings.
In addition, the The Analysis of Variance revealed no significant group differences between those who dated outside their race, F (22, 69) = 1. 027, p=. 454. The participants experience with dating interracially and their openness to other culture score ranged from 16 to 80. Their participants who answered yes to interracially dating (M=31. 62) compared to those who answered no (M=33. 94) were similar in mean score supporting no group difference. In addition, there were no gender group differences amidst the quasi experimental design [F (16, 69) = 1. 434, p=. 276].
The ANOVA indicated that the mean score for the males (M=1. 086) and females (M=. 898) were not significantly different. Cronbach’s Alpha The Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability of the measure by examining the correlation of each item in the measure with other items. The experimental design assessed the participants’ interpretation of the couples presented in the vignettes openness to other cultures which signified a score of. 495. These finding indicate that our measure cannot be reliable to conclude a relationship between interracial dating and openness to other cultures.
The quasi experimental design using participants’ personal interracial dating experience to measure the impact openness to other cultures was . 552. In addition, the experimental design and quasi experimental design measures were not reliable in concluding a relationship between variables. Discussion Implications The results of the present study were that there was no statistical significance. There was an insufficient amount of participants in each condition from the vignettes. A study with internal validity requires 20 or more participants in each condition.
The current study consisted of 17 to 18 participants per condition due to the occurrence of participants not identifying as Black or the incompletion of measures. The lack of individuals in each condition might have been a factor resulting to the insignificance of the researcher’s findings. In addition, the The Analysis of Variance revealed no significant group differences between those who dated outside their race, F (22, 69) = 1. 027, p=. 454. The participants experience with dating interracially and their openness to other culture score ranged from 16 to 80.
Their participants who answered yes to interracially dating (M=31. 62) compared to those who answered no (M=33. 94) were similar in mean score supporting no group difference. In addition, there were no gender group differences amidst the quasi experimental design [F (16, 69) = 1. 434, p=. 276]. The ANOVA indicated that the mean score for the males (M=1. 086) and females (M=. 898) were not significantly different. Cronbach’s Alpha The Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability of the measure by examining the correlation of each item in the measure with other items.
The experimental design assessed the participants’ interpretation of the couples presented in the vignettes openness to other cultures which signified a score of. 495. These finding indicate that our measure cannot be reliable to conclude a relationship between interracial dating and openness to other cultures. The quasi experimental design using participants’ personal interracial dating experience to measure the impact openness to other cultures was . 552. In addition, the experimental design and quasi experimental design measures were not reliable in concluding a relationship between variables.
Discussion Implications The results of the present study were that there was no statistical significance. There was an insufficient amount of participants in each condition from the vignettes. A study with internal validity requires 20 or more participants in each condition. The current study consisted of 17 to 18 participants per condition due to the occurrence of participants not identifying as Black or the incompletion of measures. The lack of individuals in each condition might have been a factor resulting to the insignificance of the researcher’s findings.
In addition, the The Analysis of Variance revealed no significant group differences between those who dated outside their race, F (22, 69) = 1. 027, p=. 454. The participants experience with dating interracially and their openness to other culture score ranged from 16 to 80. Their participants who answered yes to interracially dating (M=31. 62) compared to those who answered no (M=33. 94) were similar in mean score supporting no group difference. In addition, there were no gender group differences amidst the quasi experimental design [F (16, 69) = 1. 434, p=. 276].
The ANOVA indicated that the mean score for the males (M=1. 086) and females (M=. 898) were not significantly different. Cronbach’s Alpha The Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess the reliability of the measure by examining the correlation of each item in the measure with other items. The experimental design assessed the participants’ interpretation of the couples presented in the vignettes openness to other cultures which signified a score of. 495. These finding indicate that our measure cannot be reliable to conclude a relationship between interracial dating and openness to other cultures.
The quasi experimental design using participants’ personal interracial dating experience to measure the impact openness to other cultures was . 552. In addition, the experimental design and quasi experimental design measures were not reliable in concluding a relationship between variables. Discussion Implications The results of the present study were that there was no statistical significance. There was an insufficient amount of participants in each condition from the vignettes. A study with internal validity requires 20 or more participants in each condition.
The current study consisted of 17 to 18 participants per condition due to the occurrence of participants not identifying as Black or the incompletion of measures. The lack of individuals in each condition might have been a factor resulting to the insignificance of the researcher’s findings. In addition, the deficiency of participants in each condition also cause for the inability to generalize results to the population. Another implication researchers discovered was a Cronbach’s alpha score below . 80. The present study Cronbach’s alpha came out to be . 95 and . 552 indicating that the measures are not reliable to measure the variables and had relatively low internal consistency. Limitations The current study was conducted at a historically black university. The researchers confronted limitations like race and gender in the assessment of interracial dating and openness to other cultures. This study might have foreseen a racial distinction at an ethnically diverse university. The current research lacks external validity because it is not a reliable depiction of the average population at college/ universities.
Another limitation encountered by researchers was that our measures lacked internal consistency meaning that our measure did not effectively assess a significant correlation of variables. Future Research Future research on the relationship between interracial dating and openness to other cultures can be enhanced in many ways. Unlike the current study which relied on college students to observe and assess a relationship between variables. To determine generalizability future studies can observe this relationship outside of a college campus examining a different age group, race, and country.
Current research took place at a historically black university. Future research should be conducted at universities with varying degrees of diversity to ascertain if the correlation between interracial dating and openness to other cultures is influenced by the ethnic composition of the school (Hunter &Elias, 2000). Researchers recommend a parental assessment on racial attitudes might benefit present studies quasi experimental design. This would assist in determining if attitudes on interracial dating and the cultural openness score to observe if parental influences represent a confounding variable.
By observing parental influences researchers can account for extra factors that influence interracial dating therefore, the study only indicates a relationship between interracial dating and cultural openness. A longitudinal study could be advantageous to indicate if the relationship between interracial dating and cultural openness remain constant throughout an individual’s lifespan. By conducting a longitudinal study future studies can directly observe individuals who interracially date and periodically observe the impact on cultural openness through a lifespan.
