The link between racial prejudice and racial policy attitudes : a meta-analytic study.

Abstract

This meta-analytic study analyses the relationship between racial prejudice and racial policy attitudes. Specifically, it examines the effects of race attitudes (i.e., symbolic racism, oldfashioned racism, racial affect and stereotypes) on attitudes towards racial policies such as affirmative action, busing and fair housing laws, among others. Furthermore, the effects of

specific policy types (i.e., preferential treatment, compensatory programmes, desegregation and general legal policies) on racial policy attitudes were also examined. Finally, as a matter of interest, a racial attitude by racial policy type interaction was also analysed. 28 studies (N

= 187 191,216 effect sizes) were collected for analyses. Overall, results indicate that there is in fact a statistically significant correlation between race prejudice and racial policy attitudes. In terms of racial attitudes, all four dimensions of racial attitude types were significantly correlated with racial policy opinions, with symbolic racism presenting the strongest

relationship. All four racial policy types were also significantly correlated with the four racial attitudes.