The Measurement and Structure of Microaggressive Communications by White People Against Black People

Abstract

Previous research on microaggressions has emphasized the frequency of and distress produced by microaggressions as reported by people of color. The current research supplements the existing literature by develo** a self-report measure of White individuals’ microaggressive likelihood against Black people, the Cultural Cognitions and Actions Scale (CCAS). Study 1 developed the CCAS through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of responses to CCAS items from a sample of 978 non-Hispanic White undergraduate students. The final scale comprised four factors (Negative Attitudes, Colorblindness, Objectifying, and Avoidance) assessing microaggressive likelihood, and CCAS total and factor scores were significantly related to several other indicators of racism and bias. Study 2 involved 31 of the previous participants in a lab-based discussion of race-related issues with a confederate and provided initial support for the predictive validity of the measure. Overall, this report supports a growing literature that microaggressions are more than innocuous, harmless behaviors, unrelated to racism, and instead represent relevant processes within the science of racism and bias. It also provides a potential means of testing the effectiveness of interventions intended to reduce the commission of microaggressions.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Scenarios Used in Original Administration of CCAS.

Scenario 1: Law Student

A friend of yours has wanted you to meet a friend, saying they think you will like the person. You meet this person one-on-one. He turns out to be a tall, fit-looking Black man who says he is a law student. He seems very smart, and he has a very sophisticated vocabulary. You like his personality.

Scenario 2: African Style

An acquaintance at work starts a conversation with you. She is a 20-something-year-old African American female. She is wearing a traditional colorful African-style dress and has long hair with scores of tiny braids and golden beads woven into them. Her hair is rolled into a large twisted wrap.

Scenario 3: Diversity Training

You are taking a required diversity workshop. The trainer starts to discuss race and explains that White people have an unfair advantage in most every area of American life due to “White privilege.” A class discussion begins where one of the White students argues that she never got any special treatment in life due to her race. A Black student disagrees and seems visibly upset. You are asked for your opinion.

Scenario 4: Current Events Discussion

You are with a mixed (Black and White) group of friends, and you are talking about various current events and political issues, including police brutality, affirmative action, unemployment, and education.

Scenario 5: Black Man in Neighborhood

You are walking down the street in your neighborhood. You see an older Black man, who looks like he hasn’t shaved in a few days, wearing weathered jeans and a t-shirt, standing on the corner. As you walk by, he asks you for directions to a store that you frequent a few blocks away.

Scenario 6: Music with Friends

You are hanging out with a group of your closest friends doing Karaoke, listening to a well-known rap song in which the rapper uses the “N-word” a lot. One of your white friends is singing loudly, and you find yourself singing along. One of your Black friends objects to the use of the “N-word” in the song.

Scenario 7: Watching News at the Sports Bar

You are at a sports bar with some racially diverse friends and acquaintances. There is clip on the news about an unarmed Black youth who was shot by police after neighbors complained about a loud party. Drugs were found at the party. A White friend of yours is looking at the footage and says that if Black people really want to be safe, they shouldn’t be loud and run around with hoodies and baggy pants because it frightens people. You are asked for your opinion.

Scenario 8: Racially Ambiguous Female

You are facing a difficult science project and have been assigned to work with a young woman you have seen before but have not met personally. She has long dark wavy hair and light brown skin. You cannot tell what racial or ethnic group she belongs to, but she speaks English without an accent. She seems to understand the project better than you do.

Appendix 2

Vignettes used in Study 2.

Vignette 1: Confederate Monument

Built in 1895, the Confederate Monument in Louisville, KY is 70-feet-tall and located at the intersection of 2nd and 3rd Streets. It is the largest Civil War monument in Kentucky. It is built of granite, with German-designed Confederate soldiers made of bronze (an artillerist, a cavalryman, and an infantryman—In their war gear). Owned by the city of Louisville, the monument commemorates the sacrifice of Confederate veterans. This memorial celebrates the courage and valor of Confederate soldiers; however, it also serves as a painful reminder of the legacy of slavery to many of African American heritage. Some community activists have called for the monument’s removal; however, others believe the monument is about heritage and not race. Furthermore, the city opposes removal of the monument.

Who is right in this case? Should the monument stay or go, and why?

Vignette 2: Texas Officer Shoots Black Teen

In August of 2015, police responded to a call at a local Classic Buick GMC dealership after receiving reports of a sport-utility vehicle being driven through the glass in the front of the building. The car was occupied by 19 year-old Christian Taylor, an African American sophomore at Angelo State University in Texas, where he played on the football team as a defensive back. There is no video of what happened after the police arrived at the scene, but Christian, who was unarmed, was shot and killed by a White officer-in-training on the scene. Authorities initially called the driver a burglary suspect, but Black Lives Matter protesters are calling the incident a senseless death.

Who is right in this case? Should the officer be punished for what happened, or was the shooting justified?

Vignette 3: Tau Kappa Epsilon’s MLK Day Party

In order to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Arizona State University decided to throw a party in which they served watermelon, had guests wear oversized basketball jerseys, and took photos while flashing “gang signs.” The university suspended the fraternity, but some supporters created a “Save Tau Kappa Epsilon” Facebook page, featuring pictures of fraternity members wearing “blackface” make-up. Some people have said that the incident was disgusting and embarrassing. Others have argued that the party was harmless and fraternity members were exercising their constitutional rights.

Who is right in this case? Should the fraternity have been suspended, or was it just harmless fun?