Perceived Minority Status and Diversity Attitudes: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

The relationship between perceived minority status (in race and gender) and attitudes toward diversity was investigated with 308 graduate and undergraduate students from the southwestern U.S. (54.5% women, 67.5% nonWhite, whose mean age was 26.7, SD=6.2). Analysis suggested perceived minority status in gender correlates significantly and positively with attitudes toward diversity. Specifically, women who perceived themselves to be of a minority gender were more likely to have positive attitudes toward other cultural groups than women who did not perceive themselves as of a minority. Furthermore, perceived minority status in gender mediated the relationship between sex and attitudes toward diversity. Perceived minority status in race was not correlated with attitudes toward diversity.