1. Affects of Race in Ambiguous Situations
Jordon Epps, Suhanya Erne, Natasha Owen, Gizelle Torres
California State University, Northridge
Presented: 2005 PSI CHI Research Competition

2. Introduction Past Research
Hurricane Katrina
Mary-Beth, Oliver, and Dana (2002)
Hugenberg and Bodenhausen (2004)

3. Introduction Past Research
Hurricane Katrina
Different captions on pictures with identical situations

4. Introduction Past Research
Mary-Beth, Oliver, and Dana (2002)
Differences in White participants’ identification and misidentification of Black and White criminals

5. Introduction Past Research
Hugenberg and Bodenhausen (2004)
Hostility towards facial expressions of African Americans and Caucasians—more hostility towards African Americans

6. Hypothesis
We hypothesized that ethnicity and cultural influences affects the interpretation of a person in either a positive or negative way.

7. Method Participants CSUN Human Subject Pool 101 Participants
15 African Americans (14.9%)
28 Caucasians (27.7%)
32 Hispanics (31.7%)
26 Other Races (25.7%)

8. Methods Materials Questionnaire Set of 10 pictures/ 3 versions
Four key pictures, 6 random pictures

9. Illegally Breaking into a Car VS Legally Breaking into Car
Method Materials
Illegally Breaking into a Car VS Legally Breaking into Car

10. Arguing VS Friendly Conversation with Security
Method Materials
Arguing VS Friendly Conversation with Security

11. Cheating VS Working with a Classmate
Method Materials
Cheating VS Working with a Classmate

12. Gun to Protect Family VS Gun to Protect Outside of Family
Method Materials
Gun to Protect Family VS Gun to Protect Outside of Family

13. Methods Procedure Dividers set up
Participants viewed pictures 1-10 and answered questions accordingly
Participants filled out demographic info (age, race, gender, major), then answered the question pertaining to their view on level of equality of racial groups
Debriefing

14. Results
Chi Square Test
Alpha .05

15. Results Significant Findings
Car Situation “illegally breaking in vs. legally breaking in,”
Pearson Chi-Square =.002.

16. Results Non Significant Findings Cheating Situation Gun Situation
Pearson Chi-Square =.668
Gun Situation
Pearson Chi-Square =.616

17. Results Significant Findings
Security Situation “arguing vs. friendly conversation”
Pearson Chi-Square =.001

18. Discussion Findings Supports past research
Although, only 2 out of the 4 main pictures were significant, it still supports our hypothesis
Hispanics viewed more negatively
Los Angeles location—we are exposed to more Hispanic immigrants who are viewed more negatively

19. Discussion Limitations Pictures were not identical Participant Bias
In some of the facial expressions
In the angles which the pictures were shot
Participant Bias
Participants may have answered the questions in a way which made them seem more socially desirable

20. Conclusion
All racial groups are not perceived equally. There is a negative perception when certain minority groups are present.

21. Thank you
THE END