Acknowledging White Privilege Predicts Greater Allyship and Positive Intergroup Outcomes

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated an association between acknowledging racial privilege and allyship engagement (e.g., Craig et al., 2020) amongst White people; however, less is known about the social-cognitive antecedents of acknowledging privilege, and the consequences of failing to recognize racial privilege on interracial relations. The present dissertation sought to examine whether White individuals acknowledge their privilege and whether mindsets about prejudice predict acknowledgment of privilege and allyship engagement (Studies 1a & 1b), whether a person of color’s willingness to engage with a White person depends on the White person’s response (i.e., defensive, perfunctory apology, simple apology, or elaborate apology) after being called out for not acknowledging their privilege (Study 2), and whether these results differ across a White minority (Hawai‘i) and a White majority (Massachusetts) context (Studies 1b & 2). Results from Study 1a (N = 64) found that White participants in Hawai‘i responded equally defensively and non-defensively when confronted about their racial privilege. No relation between mindsets about prejudice and acknowledging privilege was found. Results from Study 1b (N = 128) found that White participants in Hawai‘i and Massachusetts were more likely to respond non-defensively when confronted about White privilege, and that a growth mindset about prejudice was correlated with acknowledging privilege, and acknowledging privilege was correlated with allyship. Results from Study 2 (N = 310) found that only participants who received a simple apology were more likely to engage with the White confederate in the future, and character evaluations mediated this relation. These results did not differ across context. The present research provides novel insight on the predictors and benefits of acknowledging White privilege, and the detriments that failing to acknowledge privilege has on interracial relations.