Recognition of racially microaggressive behavior in White Americans

Abstract

One objective was to investigate the ability of White Americans to recognize microaggressions committed toward an African American in a video-taped example. A second purpose was to evaluate how they would respond in such situations. 317 White, non-Hispanic participants with and average age of 38.48 viewed one of four video interactions between a White professor and an African American student. One video depicted no microaggression, one an ambiguous microaggression, one a microaggression, and one an overt microaggression. Prior to the video, half of the participants were primed by viewing five images of people of color holding a sign of a microaggression they had experienced. Participants completed questionnaires measures of their color-blindness and their perception of the video. Those in less-microaggressive situations rated the aggressor as more likable, pleasant, and approachable and less cold than those in the more microaggressive conditions. Microaggressions were associated with greater recognition the aggressor was biased and insensitive. The aggressor’s behavior was also rated more intentional and harmful than the aggressor in less-microaggressive conditions. None of the groups were likely to demand a behavior change on the part of the aggressor. White Americans recognize microaggressions when they are overt, and less so when they are subtle. While some of the participants across conditions were willing to comment on the interaction, comparatively few were willing to demand a change in the behavior of the aggressor. This suggests that the negative impact of perceiving a microaggression appears to be modest at best.