Attitudes towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia: a systematic review

Figures & data

Table 1. Characteristics of studies included in systematic review

Author(s)	Year	N	Gender composition	Age (years)	Population	Measure of attitudes	Findings
Barlow, Louis, Hewstone, & Miles	2009	273	80% female, 20% male	M = 19.89, SD = 5.71	White Australian Students	Old-fashioned racism	Old-fashioned racism was and negatively correlated with cross-group friendship (r = −.24), and positively correlated with cognitions of rejection (r = .43) and intergroup anxiety (r = .73).
Barlow, Louis, & Terry	2010	87	74% female, 26% male	M = 19.90, SD = 3.34	Asian Australian students	Modern racism scale (adapted from Stephan & Stephan, 1985)	Modern racism negatively correlated with gender (r = −.31) and support for apology (r = −.65), and positively correlated with cognition of outgroup rejection (r = .26), intergroup anxiety (r = .42) and avoidance of Aboriginal people (r = .48). No correlation between modern racism and either age or Asian-Australian identification.
Black-Gutman & Hickson	1996	122	60 females, 62 males	Range 5–12	Euro-Australian Children	Multiple-Response Racial Attitude (MRA)	Participants were significantly more positive towards European Australians, t(118) = 5.94, p < .001, and Asian-Australians, t(118) = 4.76, p < .001, than towards Aborigines [sic]. This effect was stronger for older (above 9) than younger children.
Ecker, Lewandowsky, Fenton, & Martin	2014	144	97 females, 47 males	Range 17–46, M = 19	Undergraduate students	Attitudes Towards Indigenous Australians scale (ATIA)	Participants use race-related information in their inferential reasoning only when this information supports their preconceived ideas. Those with high racial prejudice scores mentioned an Aboriginal crime suspect more often than people with low prejudice scores. In contrast, people with low prejudice scores mentioned an Aboriginal hero more often than those with high prejudice scores.
Feather & McKee	2008	148	42 males, 105 females	M = 22.05, SD = 7.49	Psychology students	Modern Racism Scale adapted for Australian Aborigines [sic]	Modern racism was positively correlated with values of power (r = .38), security (r = .23), right-wing authoritarianism (r = .48), and social dominance orientation (r = .50), and . It was negatively correlated with value of universalism (r = −.25) and benevolence (r = −.37). It was unrelated to achievement, hedonism, stimulation, self-direction, tradition, and conformity.
Fraser & Islam	2000	149	74 females, 73 males	Not recorded	McMillan electorate	Symbolic racism scale, (Fraser & Islam, 1997).	Symbolic racism was positively correlated with relational orientation (r = .73), voting one nation (r = .48), and supporting Pauline Hanson (r = .57), and negatively correlated with support for Mabo (r = −.40) and Wik (r = −.44). Blatant racism was positively correlated with relational orientation (r = .46), voting one nation (r = .41), and supporting Pauline Hanson (r = .41), but negatively correlated with support for Mabo (r = −.20) and Wik (r = −.18).
Griffiths & Nesdale	2006	120	50% males 50% females	Grades 1 & 2 (M = 6.5, SD = 0.6, n = 41); Grades 3 & 4 (M = 8.4, SD = 0.5, n = 41); Grades 5 & 6 (M = 10.7, SD = 0.6, n = 38)	Primary students	Preschool Racial Attitude Measure II	Majority group participants rated the in-group more positively than the two out-groups, with the indigenous out-group being rated least positively. Ethnic minority participants rated the in-group and the ethnic majority out-group equally positively, while the Aboriginal out-group was rated least positively.
Haslam & Wilson	2000	96	Not recorded	Range 15–18, M = 17	Schoolchildren	Modern Racism Scale	Prejudice was negatively correlated with personal beliefs (r = −.61) and in-group beliefs (r = −.61). Personal beliefs were more predictive of prejudice towards a target group than a person’s knowledge of, and ability to reproduce, the cultural stereotype of that group.
Heaven & Quintin –	2003	174	37 males, 137 females	Not recorded	Psychology students	Modern Racism Scale	With personal identity primed, attitudes towards Indigenous Australians positively correlated with RWA (r = .52) and SDO (r = .36). With national identity primed, attitudes towards Indigenous Australians [sic] positively correlated with RWA (r = .49) and SDO (r = .53). No gender differences in attitudes to Aborigines [sic].
Hill & Augoustinos	2001	62	39 females, 23 males	M = 41.90 SD = 12.1	Employees of a large public organisation	Modern Racism Scale	Mean modern racism scores Attitudes towards Aborigines scale scores were low. Participants displayed significantly higher levels of modern racism than old-fashioned racism.
Hill & Murray	2020	198	64% females, 36% males	M = 34.95 SD = 13.70	University students and general public	Attitudes towards IndigenousAustralians scale	Negative attitudes towards Indigenous Australians [sic] was negatively correlated with self-transcendence (r = −.50), psychological sense of national community (r = −.152) and psychological sense of global community (r = −.367). Openness was not related to Attitudes towards Indigenous Australians. Women reported more positive attitudes than men, and those with a bachelor’s degree or higher were more likely to hold more positive attitudes than individuals with lower levels of educational attainment.
Islam & Jahjah	2001	139	79 females, 60 males	Range 18–29	University students	Endorsement of 5 statements from contemporary Australian sources	Attitudes were slightly positive, with participants holding significantly more positive attitudes towards Aboriginals than Asians or Arabs. Aboriginals attracted significantly more negative stereotypes than Arabs and Asians. The best predictor of attitudes towards Aboriginals was negative affect, followed by perceived threat.
Leach, Iyer, & Pederson	2007	122	Not recorded	M = 49	Public	Symbolic racism	Symbolic racism was positively correlated with opposition to an apology (r = .35), relative deprivation (r = .29), and anger (r = .25). Anger was typically felt as a righteous response to perceived unfairness. Non-Indigenous Australians exhibiting symbolic racism opposed the apology and considered themselves relatively deprived compared to Indigenous Australians. Individuals’ subjective perception of relative deprivation fuelled their political opposition through the specific emotion of anger.
Mavor & Gallois	2008	143	82 females, 58 males	M = 37.1	Australian Catholics	Modern racism scale	Negative attitudes towards Aboriginal Australians [sic] was correlated with religious fundamentalism (r = −.30). Intrinsic religiosity (r = .20) positively correlated with attitudes.
O’Driscoll & Feather	1985	68	38 females, 30 males	M = 22.6	Psychology students	Attitudes questionnaire	Participants were more agreeable to favourable statements about Aborigines than unfavourable. High ethnocentric persons displayed less tendency towards positive prejudice.
Pederson & Barlow	2008	123	78.1 % females, 11.9% males	M = 21, SD = 4.86	First year psychology students	Attitudes thermometer measured attitudes to AboriginalAustralians.	57.6% of participants were indifferent towards Aboriginal Australians, 41.4% accepting, 0% rejecting. False and inflammatory information is detrimental to Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal relations.
Pedersen, Griffiths, Contos, & Bishop	2000	208	Not recorded	Not recorded	Western Australians	Modern Racism Scale, Old-fashioned Prejudice Scale.	Modern prejudice positively correlated with anti-political correctness (r = .55), false beliefs (r = .59), education (r = .28), political orientation (r = .32) and location (r = .26), and negatively correlated with value-expressive function (r = −.14). Old-fashioned prejudice positively correlated with anti-political correctness (r = .42), false beliefs (r = .48), education (r = .28), political orientation (r = .37) and age (r = .15), and correlated with experiential-schemata function (r = −.20).
Pederson & Walker	1997	223	52.3% females, 47.7% males	44.1% aged 30–39	Western Australians	Old-fashioned prejudice scale Modern racism scale	Old-fashioned prejudice was positively correlated with gender (r = .22), RWA (r = .40), group relative deprivation (GRD) cognitive (r = .35) and GRD cognitive x affective (r = .38), and negatively correlated with education (r = −.24). Modern prejudice was positively correlated with income (r = .15), political position (r = .20), gender (r = .16), strength of national identity (r = .27), RWA (r = .46), and GRD cognitive (r = .48), affective (r = .13) and cognitive x affective (r = .43). Modern prejudice was negatively correlated with education (r = −.15). Modern prejudice was more prevalent than old-fashioned prejudice. GRD and RWA predicts both forms of prejudice, but modern prejudice more strongly.
Skinner, Blick, Coffin, Dudgeon, Forrest, & Morrison	2013	102	66% female, 34% male	Range 17–61, M = 25	Western Australian Students	Attitudes Towards Indigenous Scale Modern Racism Scale	There was an effect of education, with participants with a TAFE qualification as their highest level of attainment exhibiting relatively more prejudice on both the ATIAS and MRS than those with higher levels of educational attainment. There was no significant relationship for sex or age. Two-thirds (67.5%) of the sample scored below the midpoint on the ATIAS, thereby reporting a positive attitude towards Indigenous Australians. 76% scoring zero or below on the MRS, indicating they held a positive attitude towards Aboriginal Australians.
Walker	1994	257	34.6% females 65% males	M = 46.7 SD = 16.05	Western Australians	Attitudes to Aborigines Scale	Males were significantly more negative than females in their attitudes to Aborigines. Those belonging to the Church of England reported less prejudice than Catholics, other Christians, and those claiming no religion. Attitudes to Aboriginals was correlated negatively with age (r = −.11) and political conservatism (r = −.17), and positively to years of education (r = −.19). Income was not correlated to attitudes.

Figure 1. PRISMA flowchart for the study selection process.

Stephan, W. G., & Stephan, C. W. (1985). Intergroup anxiety. Journal of Social Issues, 41, 157–175. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540‐4560.1985.tb01134.x

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Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.