Social distance as categorization of intergroup interaction

Conducted a social distance study with 38 male and 50 female black and 40 male and 40 female white students from a large, predominately white state university and 72 male and 75 female black students from a small predominately black college. Ss categorized 50 situations describing black-white interaction according to advisable social distance, using any number of categories and frequency distribution of situations they deemed appropriate (own categories procedure). Personal involvement was indicated by number of categories and frequency of noncommitment. As predicted, black fraternity members revealed less involvement than independents, and males more involvement than females. There were significant interaction effects between these variables and college context (small, largely black vs. large, predominately white institutions). The interpersonal vs. institutional setting of situations was less important in black students' categorizations of social distance than expressed attitudes and actions of white participants and reactions by black peers. (25 ref.)