Fostering Positive Interracial Interactions

这个项目包括一系列的实验室研究，研究人们在种族间互动中所携带的动机是否会导致消极的经历，以及改变这种动机如何有助于更积极的互动。最近的研究发现，跨种族和/或文化差异的接触有时是负面的。这些类型的互动似乎需要额外的努力来管理，因此经常导致精神和情感疲劳。本项目包括的研究旨在通过调查群体间互动对黑人、白人和拉丁裔参与者的影响，发现减少种族间接触的潜在结果的途径(a)方法导向与回避导向的心态，(b)关注他们对互动的渴望（促进导向）而不是他们在互动中的责任（预防导向），或者(c)在互动过程中发展而不是表现出积极的种族态度和群体间理解（学习而不是表现目标）。研究人员假设，方法导向、晋升焦点和学习目标将提高这些互动的质量，进而消除这些互动对个体认知表现和情绪健康的破坏性影响。越来越多的证据表明，多样化的环境具有广泛的社会、社会和组织效益。然而，事实仍然是，许多人发现这种多样化的环境和与不同种族群体成员的接触在认知和情感上都具有挑战性。这项研究的结果将有助于创造和优化种族多样化环境的积极方面，通过提高这些环境的特征群体间接触体验的质量。

This project involves a series of laboratory studies that examine whether the motives that people carry into interracial interactions may contribute to negative experiences and, and how altering such motives might contribute to more positive interactions. Recent research has found that contact across racial and/or cultural divides can sometimes be negative. These types of interactions appear to require additional effort to manage, and consequently often result in mental and emotional fatigue. The research included in this project aims to discover avenues to reduce this potential outcome of interracial contact by investigating the effects of intergroup interactions on Black, White and Latino/a participants (a) with approach-oriented versus avoidance-oriented mindsets, (b) focused on their aspirations for the interaction (promotion-focused) rather than their responsibilities within the interaction (prevention-focused), or (c) with the goal to develop rather than demonstrate positive racial attitudes and intergroup understanding (learning rather than performance goals) during the interaction. The investigators hypothesize that approach-orientation, promotion focus, and learning goals will enhance the quality of these interactions and, in turn, eliminate the disrupting effects the interactions have on individuals' cognitive performance and emotional well-being.There is mounting evidence that diverse environments have widespread social, societal, and organizational benefits. Nevertheless, the fact remains that many individuals find such diverse environments and contact with members of different racial groups both cognitively and emotionally challenging. The findings of this research will aid in creating and optimizing the positive aspects of racially diverse environments by improving the quality of the intergroup contact experiences which are characteristic of these settings.