COLLEGE-STUDENTS RACIAL-ATTITUDES

Factor analyses of responses from white (N = 260) and black (N = 81) c ollege students in two neighboring universities were utilized to devel op contemporary measures of racial attitudes and of the degree of inte rracial contact experienced by blacks and by whites. Two sets of 112 a ttitudinal statements were utilized for the initial factor analyses, o ne set for black respondents and one for whites. About 60% of the item s in the two sets were identical or the same except that the racial de signations were reversed. Two 20-item racial attitude scales were deri ved from the factor analyses, one for blacks and one for whites. For s tudents of each race, scores on the attitude measure showed a weak but significant relationship with a 16-item self-report scale of amount o f interracial contact experienced, past and present. The relationship of these scales to earlier racial attitude measures (symbolic racism, modem racism, the MRAI, value rankings) were assessed. Second-order fa ctor analyses suggested that the black students' racial attitudes were more heterogeneous than were the white students' racial attitudes. In general, black respondents tended to show more support than whites fo r programs designed to increase opportunities for, and recognition of, blacks. Black students also tended to endorse a greater degree of soc ial distance between the races than white students did. The pattern of relationships between racial attitudes and sociopolitical issues diff ered for whites and blacks.