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Feeling (Mis)Understood and Intergroup Friendships in Interracial Interactions
Nicole Shelton1, Sara Douglass2, Randi L Garcia3
1Princeton University, NJ, USA nshelton@princeton.edu.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|June 22, 2014
Summary
For ethnic minorities, having White friends buffers against feeling misunderstood during interracial interactions. More intergroup friendships improve understanding and reduce negative feelings in cross-cultural exchanges.
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Intergroup Relations
- Sociology
Background:
- Interracial interactions can lead to feelings of being misunderstood, particularly for ethnic minorities.
- The role of intergroup friendships in mitigating these negative experiences is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if friendships with out-group members buffer ethnic minorities from feeling misunderstood in interracial interactions.
- To examine the influence of intergroup friendships on the experience of Whites in interracial interactions.
Main Methods:
- Three experience sampling studies were conducted.
- Data were collected on daily interracial interactions and feelings of being understood.
- Friendship networks with out-group members were assessed.
Main Results:
- Ethnic minorities with fewer White friends reported feeling less understood during daily interracial interactions.
- Ethnic minorities with more White friends did not show a significant association between daily interracial interactions and feeling understood.
- Having ethnic minority friends did not influence the relationship between interracial interactions and feeling understood for Whites.
Conclusions:
- Intergroup friendships, specifically friendships with White individuals for ethnic minorities, act as a significant buffer against feeling misunderstood.
- These findings highlight the beneficial impact of diverse friendships for ethnic minority well-being in interracial contexts.
- The buffering effect of intergroup friendships appears to be asymmetrical, primarily benefiting ethnic minorities.
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