Black Americans' Racial Socialization Experiences and Beliefs About White People's Interracial Motives

Objectives: Suspect motives, conceptualized as beliefs that Whites' interracial motives are primarily driven by desires to avoid appearing prejudiced have been found to shape a number of intergroup outcomes for People of Color (POC). However, it is unclear what factors lead individuals to become suspicious of Whites' motives. Two correlational studies tested whether childhood racial socialization experiences relate to suspect motives. Methods: 223 Black participants (94.2% female; M age = 42.01, SD age = 16.62) recalled childhood racial socialization experiences and completed the Suspicion of Motives Index (SOMI; Study 1). 226 Black parents (80.8% female; M age = 37.39, SD age = 9.17) reported racial socialization strategies and goals for their children to be cognizant of Whites' potentially suspect motives (Study 2). Results: Driven by cultural socialization, racial socialization was significantly related to suspicion (Study 1). Racial socialization predicted parental desires that children recognize Whites' suspect motives and a combined measure of cultural socialization and preparation for bias was most strongly related to parental hopes (Study 2). Conclusions: These studies link racial socialization and suspicion of Whites' motives. These results suggest that among POC, racial socialization may shape beliefs about Whites' interracial motives. Public Significance Statement Despite evidence that beliefs about Whites' motives shape numerous interracial responses among People of Color, it is unclear what leads to the development of suspicion of Whites' motives. The current work predicted and finds initial evidence that racial socialization was associated with beliefs about Whites' suspect motives.