Preference for Racial Composition of Groups

Summary

The principal aim of the study was to determine what racial balances or proportions blacks and whites prefer in groups. Factors such as group intimacy (e.g., task and size) and the racial proportion from which the group was selected were manipulated in an effort to assess their impact on group member selections. Black (n = 80) and white (n = 80) subjects were asked to select from lists, individuals with whom they would hypothetically like to share a group. Results suggest that whites and blacks prefer different racial balances with whites preferring proportional representation and blacks preferring equity. Black group compositions indicate support for Triandis's hypothesis that increased intimacy heightens the saliency of race. Moreno's concept of “racial saturation point” is offered as a possible explanation for black-white differences in varying group compositions. Finally, black subjects gave significantly greater weight to the attribute of race when making their selections. It is suggested that race-related generalizations which are based on data obtained from only one racial group may be limited to that particular group.