Honors Thesis Archive

Author	E. Paige Lloyd
Title	Race Effects on Zero-Acquaintance Personality Judgments
Department	Psychology
Advisors	Cliff Brown, Jeff Brookings, and Matt Collier
Year	2013
Honors	Departmental Honors
Full Text	View Thesis (328 KB)
Abstract	The current study aims to better understand how two well researched areas in social psychology, zero-acquaintance judgments and own-race bias, may be related. Based on past research, it is hypothesized that participants will make more accurate personality judgments of same-race versus cross-race targets. Target gender is also explored as a potential factor in accuracy of zero-acquaintance judgments. Scores were calculated for eight Wittenberg students on 19 personality dimensions. Participants from several outside academic institutions viewed images of the Wittenberg students and made 19 personality judgments. Analyses were compared accuracy of same-race judgments to those of cross-race judgments. There was a significant difference in judgments of same-race versus cross-race individuals. Results indicated a significant difference in accuracy based on target race and target gender. The hypothesis is often but not entirely supported by the data. Results suggest same-race versus cross-race accuracy may be dependent on the personality trait.