1. Jenny Song and Cindy Miller-Perrin
Colorblind Attitudes and Religious Fundamentalism as Predictors of Racial and General Campus Climate Perceptions
Jenny Song and Cindy Miller-Perrin

2. Racial and General Campus Climate
Religious Fundamentalism
Racial and General Campus Climate
Colorblind
Attitudes
Racial climate, which is defined as “the current perceptions and attitudes of faculty, staff, and students regarding issues of diversity on a campus” (Rankin & Reason, 2005, p. 7) is an important topic because it is significantly correlated with student learning outcomes and emotional well-being
Colorblind
Attitudes x
Religious Fundamentalism

3. Through studying the influences of colorblind attitudes and religious fundamentalism on campus climate:
Better understand racial differences in perceptions of campus climate
Provide universities with tools to educate their students on creating a more racially aware campus.
Purpose

4. Racial climate is defined as: “the current perceptions and attitudes of faculty, staff, and students regarding issues of diversity on a campus” (Rankin & Reason, 2005, p. 7)
Correlated with student learning outcomes and emotional well-being
Numerous studies demonstrate racial differences in perceptions of racial climate
Negative campus climate for minority students
(Chavous, 2005; Worthington, Navarro, Loewy, & Hart, 2008)
Racial Climate

5. Impact of Negative Racial Climate
Black Americans
Asian Americans
Psychological distress
Self-doubt
Frustration
Isolation
Higher drop out rate
Low self-esteem
Low mental health
Fear of negative evaluation
Social avoidance
Higher drop out rate
Higher collective self-esteem
(Pieterse et al.,2012; Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000,; Wei, Ku, & Liao., 2011).
(Lee & Thai, 2015; Tawa, Suyemoto, & Roemer, 2012; Wei et al., 2011)
A meta-analysis by Pieterse and colleagues (2012) found that 86% of the studies reviewed reported a
It appears that a negative racial climate shaped by micro-aggressions in academic and social spaces seemed to (Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000).
These studies have demonstrated, however, that like Black students, Asian Americans students who struggled to adjust to their university’s environment due to their identities as minorities had negative perceptions of the university’s Wei et al., 2011).
Low self-esteem, low mental health, fear of negative evaluation, and social avoidance (Lee & Thai, 2015),
when perceiving structural racism against their race, which mitigates the negative effect of interpersonal racism on individual self-esteem (Tawa, Suyemoto, & Roemer, 2012).
Impact of Negative Racial Climate

6. Predictors of Racial Climate: Colorblind Attitudes
Colorblind attitudes are defined as the belief that “race should not and does not matter” (Neville, Lilly, Duran, Lee, & Browne, 2000).
Studies show that White students had significantly more colorblind attitudes than students of color
(Worthington et al., 2008).
Predictors of Racial Climate: Colorblind Attitudes

7. Impact of Colorblind Attitudes
White Students
Avoid asking about race negatively correlated with:
Perceived friendliness
Frequency of eye contact
Not seeing race morally superior to seeing race?
Positive general and racial campus climate
Students of Color
Lower race related stress
Negative evaluation of own race
Self-critical
Positive perception of general and racial climate
(Norton, Sommers, Apfelbaum, Pura & Ariely, 2006;
Wariko & Novais 2015; Worthington et al., 2008)
Whites more colorblind (worthington)
(Norton et al., 2006). Although White Americans adopt colorblind attitudes to appear unprejudiced, it is possible that these very attitudes may be negatively influencing their interactions with people of color.
Positive general and racial campus climate (Worthington et al., 2008)
In a qualitative study by Warikoo and de Novais (2015), it was found that half of the White students who were interviewed exhibited a colorblind ideology, reflecting their attitudes that
(Neville et al., 2013; Worthington et al., 2008)
Impact of Colorblind Attitudes

8. Predictors of Racial Climate: Religious Fundamentalism
Religious fundamentalism is defined as: “closed-mindedness, the certainty that one’s religious beliefs are correct, and the belief that one has access to absolute truth” (Hunsberger & Jackson, 2005, p. 3),
Predictor of racial prejudice and intolerance
White Evangelicals
Report discrimination against Whites
(Brown, 2009; Mayrl & Saperstein, 2013)
(Brown, 2009).
against Whites in the South (Mayrl & Saperstein, 2013).
Predictors of Racial Climate: Religious Fundamentalism

9. (a) There will be racial differences in the perceptions of racial and general campus climates, colorblind attitudes, and religious fundamentalism
(b) Greater colorblind attitudes will predict a more positive perception of racial and general campus climate;
(c) Greater religious fundamentalism will predict a more positive perception of racial and general campus climate;
(d) Greater religious fundamentalism will predict greater colorblind attitudes; and
(e) Religious fundamentalism will moderate the relationship between colorblind attitudes and perceptions of racial and general campus climate.
Hypotheses

10. Procedure Participants 2,101 Pepperdine college students
55-item online survey ed to entire student body
One convocation credit incentive
Response rate: 62%
Debriefing form sent out through
2,101 Pepperdine college students
Gender: 37.9% male, 62% female, and 0.1% other.
Average age=19.59 years (SD= 2.33).
Racial/ethnic groups of interest: 3.4% Black, 18.7% Asian, 50.9% White.
and relevant demographic characteristics such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, year in school, socioeconomic status, and religious affiliation will be assessed.

11. Measures: Racial Climate
Racial Climate Scale for Undergraduate Students (Reid & Radhakrishnan, 2003)
8-item scale; 7-point response scale
Negative interracial experiences on campus and perceptions of the administration’s efforts in creating a supportive and diverse campus environment
Racial Experiences Subscale (α= .83)
The University Perceptions Subscale (α= .81)
RES- “I have experienced racial insensitivity from other students”
UPS- “The university fosters respect for cultural differences”
Measures: Racial Climate

12. Measures: General Climate
General Campus Climate Scale for Undergraduate Students (Reid & Radhakrishnan, 2003)
3-item scale; 7-point response scale (α= .80)
Students’ overall perception of the university environment
“In general, I fit in with other students here”
Measures: General Climate

13. Measures: Colorblind Attitudes
Color-Blind Racial Attitudes Scale (Neville et al,. 2000)
26-item; 5-point scale (α= .90)
The extent of the belief that “race should not and does not matter”
Unawareness of Racial Privilege
Institutional Discrimination
Blatant Racial Issues
“Everyone who works hard, no matter what race they are, has an equal chance to become rich”

14. Measures: Religious Fundamentalism
Revised Religious Fundamentalism Scale (Altemeyer & Hunsberger, 2004)
12-item scale; 9-point scale (α= .91)
The extent to which one believes in the inerrancy and absoluteness of the teachings of one’s religion
“Whenever science and sacred scripture conflict, science is probably right”

15. Results

16. Racial Differences in the Perceptions of Racial and General Campus Climates, Colorblind Attitudes, and Religious Fundamentalism
5 One-Way ANOVAs revealed significant racial differences on all continuous measures
---, ---, --- significant mean differences from group after post hoc analyses

17. Colorblind Attitudes as a Predictor of Campus Climate
Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that colorblind attitudes significantly predicted all measures of racial and general campus climate perceptions after accounting for race and gender.

18. University Perceptions
Racial Climate
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.21
β=0.312 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ=0.085
Racial Experiences
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0. 19
β=0.261 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ= 0.059
Colorblind
Attitudes
β= (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ= 0.067
University Perceptions
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.11
Racial climate, which is defined as “the current perceptions and attitudes of faculty, staff, and students regarding issues of diversity on a campus” (Rankin & Reason, 2005, p. 7) is an important topic because it is significantly correlated with student learning outcomes and emotional well-being
β=0.178 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ= 0.029
General Climate
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.09

19. Religious Fundamentalism as a Predictor of Campus Climate
Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that religious fundamentalism significantly predicted all measures of racial and general campus climate perceptions after accounting for race and gender.

20. Religious Fundamentalism University Perceptions
Racial Climate
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.15
β=0.179 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ=0.032
Racial Experiences
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0. 14
β=0.122 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ= 0.014
Religious Fundamentalism
β= (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ= 0.045
University Perceptions
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.09
Racial climate, which is defined as “the current perceptions and attitudes of faculty, staff, and students regarding issues of diversity on a campus” (Rankin & Reason, 2005, p. 7) is an important topic because it is significantly correlated with student learning outcomes and emotional well-being
β=0.23 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ= 0.052
General Climate
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.12

21. Religious Fundamentalism as a Predictor of Colorblind Attitudes
Hierarchical multiple regression revealed that religious fundamentalism significantly predicted colorblind attitudes after accounting for race and gender
Colorblind Attitudes
F= (p < .001), R2ADJ= 0.18
Religious Fundamentalism
β=0.179 (p < .001), ∆R2ADJ=0.037

22. Moderation Analysis Stage 1: Demographic Variables
Stage 2: Predictor Variables
Stage 3: Interaction Variable
Perceptions of racial climate, 2 subscales, & general climate

23. Religious Fundamentalism as a Moderator Between Colorblind Attitudes and Perceptions of Campus Climate.
Overall, the interaction between colorblind attitudes and religious fundamentalism did not predict racial or general campus climates.
However, the final models predicting racial and general campus climates were significant:
Racial climate: F= 85.64, df= 7, 2093, p< .001, R2ADJ = .22
Racial experiences: F= 81.97, df= 6, 2094, p< .001, R2ADJ = .19
University perceptions: F= 48.60, df= 7, 2093, p< .001, R2ADJ = .14
General climate: F= 46.74, df= 7, 2093, p< .001, R2ADJ = .13

24. Religious Fundamentalism as a Moderator Between Colorblind Attitudes and Perceptions of Campus Climate.
In the final model:
Colorblind attitudes significant predictor of racial climate, βCBS= .29, p < .001, racial experiences, βCBS= .26, p < .001, university perceptions, βCBS= .24, p < .001, and general campus climate, βCBS= .14, p < .001.
Religious fundamentalism was a significant predictor of university perceptions, βRFS= .20, p < .05, and general campus climate βRFS= .24, p < .01.

25. Conclusions

26. Race and Campus Climate
Consistent with previous research:
Asian and Black students had more negative perceptions of racial and general campus climate than White students (Chavous, 2005; Rankin & Reason, 2005; Worthington et al., 2008)
Contradiction to previous research (Reid and Radhakrishnan, 2003),
No significant group difference in campus perceptions between Asian and Black students
Race and Campus Climate

27. Colorblind Attitudes, Religious Fundamentalism, and Campus Climate
Significant group differences in colorblind attitudes
Whites most colorblind, then Asians, then Blacks
Consistent with prior research (Worthington et al., 2008), colorblind attitudes predicted both racial and general campus climate
No moderation effect. However:
Religious fundamentalism predicted colorblind attitudes
Religious fundamentalism predicted more positive university and general campus climate perceptions after accounting for colorblind attitudes
Religious fundamentalism did NOT predict perceptions based on racial experiences
Predicted students’ view of the administration’s efforts on diversity and general sense of belonging at the university.
Colorblind Attitudes, Religious Fundamentalism, and Campus Climate

28. To tackle the issue of campus climate  consider discussing colorblind attitudes
Dismissal of privilege and covert and overt racism in students may be contributing to the negative campus climate
Interdependence among racial groups related to sense of community in Black students (Chavous, 2005)
May be helpful to hold honest, community wide conversations about colorblind attitudes and solve the problem of colorblindness as a student body.
Facilitate discussions on colorblind attitudes through a religious lens so as to give highly fundamentalist students a safe context for discussion.
Implication