Finding your roots: Do DNA ancestry tests increase racial (in)tolerance?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Genetics
• Sociology

Background:

• Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) ancestry tests are increasingly popular.
• The impact of these tests on users' racial and ethnic attitudes is largely unknown.
• Conflicting hypotheses suggest tests could increase or decrease racial tolerance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of DNA ancestry results on racial tolerance and intolerance.
• To test whether genetic ancestry information influences multiculturalism, essentialism, and outgroup bias.
• To examine moderating factors like unexpected ancestry and genetic knowledge.

Main Methods:

• Two multiwave experiments were conducted using real or bogus DNA ancestry results.
• Participants were randomly assigned to conditions in a controlled, repeated-measures design.
• Bayesian and inferential analyses were performed on US majority-group populations (White/European Americans).

Main Results:

• No statistically significant support was found for hypotheses that DNA ancestry tests increase or decrease racial intolerance.
• Results indicated no impact on measures of multiculturalism, essentialism, or outgroup bias.
• Moderating factors, including unexpected ancestry and genetic knowledge, did not alter these findings.

Conclusions:

• Receiving DNA ancestry results does not appear to significantly affect individuals' attitudes toward other racial and ethnic groups.
• Societal optimism and concern regarding DNA ancestry testing's social impact may be unfounded.
• Further research and educational implications for test-takers are discussed.