Racial tension has recently erupted into bitter conflict at several major universities, including Yale and the University of Missouri. While specific grievances vary, the protests are rooted in the deeply held belief that black students are not treated respectfully or fairly.
Recently published research reveals one type of unjust interaction that is both commonplace and consequential. It finds African Americans' academic achievement suffers when a white instructor unconsciously harbors racist beliefs.
A research team led by Columbia University psychologistDrew Jacoby-Senghor presents evidence that implicit racism can lead to anxiety on the part of a white person who is tutoring an African American. This lowers the quality of his or her teaching, which leads directly to lower test scores for the students.
[For more of this story, written by Tom Jacobs, go to http://www.psmag.com/books-and...ack-college-students]
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