RUI: Methodological and theoretical advances in the perception of multiracial individuals

The University Corporation, Northridge, Northridge CA

Investigators

Abstract

Over the past five decades, the number of individuals in the U.S. identifying as multiracial has increased exponentially. In 2000, the U.S. Census began allowing individuals to indicate more than one race. From 2000 to 2010 alone, such responses increased by 32%, to 9 million. Yet, research suggests that the American multiracial population has grown much faster than the public's ability to perceive individuals as multiracial. For example, a person identifying as both African American and Caucasian will tend to be seen by others as African American only. One explanation is that people have not yet added a concept of multiracialism to the monoracial categories that are woven into the American social fabric. This disconnect between the real and assumed racial identity of a large and rapidly growing segment of the American population carries adverse impacts that have been well-documented by researchers. This project investigates how human minds process and racially categorize the faces of multiracial individuals. It also examines how experiences shape the capacity to view people as multiracial. A better understanding of the cognitive and social influences on the perception of multiracial individuals can be used to help reduce stereotyping, contribute to a more positive identity formation, and foster more harmonious interpersonal relationships. This project first seeks to establish a set of "best practices" for experimentation using multiracial faces. One set of experiments examines differences in how people judge real versus computer-generated multiracial faces. These studies also consider how the categorization of multiracial faces is affected by the range of presented race options. Statistical modeling techniques are used to determine the precise features of a face that lead others to perceive it as multiracial and to create a set of multiracial faces that can be used by other researchers. The second aim of the project is to determine whether multiracial faces constitute a unique category in the minds of perceivers, or if they are perceptually similar to members of a dominant monoracial category. The third aim is to test whether certain personal attributes or life experiences are associated with a higher likelihood of perceiving multiracialism in others. As a Hispanic-Serving and an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution, California State University, Northridge offers an excellent opportunity to integrate this research project in the training of undergraduate and Master's students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.