Racial Identity Salience and Its Effects on College Students Attitudes Toward Interracial Dating: Implications Toward Choosing a Potential Mate

Abstract

Until the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case interracial unions between Blacks and Whites were outlawed. Even after the Supreme Court ruled on this case there were many who strongly opposed Blacks and Whites dating or marrying one another. Despite these negative perceptions census data shows that interracial marriages between Black-White couples have steadily increased. While some may argue that race relations between Blacks and Whites have improved in this country, there are those who still oppose this particular interracial union and view these relationships with contempt. The purpose of this study was to investigate university students' attitude toward interracial dating, and examine if the level of importance they place on their race has an effect on their attitude. Previous studies on this topic have been conducted in the southern United States and California. This study adds to the existing literature by surveying students attending a university located in the Midwest. The study consisted of three questionnaires that subjects completed online. Results from this study found that having previous interracial dating experience is associated with positive attitudes toward interracial dating. It also found that students' race was associated with more positive attitudes but not gender. The variable racial identity salience did not correlate with students' attitude toward interracial dating. Clinical implications and the direction of future research are discussed.