Do Adolescents' Perceptions of Parental Racial Attitudes Relate to Their Intergroup Contact and Cross-Race Relationships?

Abstract

A developmental intergroup framework was used to investigate adolescents' perceptions of parents' messages about cross-race relationships, including friendship and dating, and to relate these attitudes to adolescents' self-reported levels of intergroup contact. Participants ( N = 347) were ninth- and twelfth-grade male and female students from the United States, of varying ethnicity. Findings indicated that intergroup contact was related to the likelihood that participants engaged in cross-race relationships. Perceptions of parent racial attitudes were related to the degree of intimacy participants experienced in these relationships. In addition, adolescents reported that parents evaluated the types of cross-race relationships differently, and their messages were significantly related to adolescents' decisions regarding cross-race friendships and dating.