Tracking changes in nonprejudiced motivations: Influences of social and political events

This study examined changes in nonprejudiced motivations toward Black people over the 2017-2024 periods. It also explored gender difference in motivations to control prejudiced reactions. The sample was 11064 White undergraduate students (3589 male, 7348 female, and 127 individuals identifying as non-binary) from the University of Tennessee. Nonprejudiced motivations was measured using the Motivation to Control Prejudiced Reaction (MCPR), assessing concern with acting prejudice and restraint to avoid dispute subscales. Results indicated that both concern and restraint motivations increased after the George Floyd murder, then decreased at following time points. In addition, results showed that, mirroring political trends, concern gradually rose among women and stayed flat among men prior to 2020.

Keywords: prejudice, motivation, social norms