Responsiveness in interracial interactions

J Nicole Shelton; Kate M Turetsky; Yeji Park

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101653

Responsiveness in interracial interactions

Curr Opin Psychol. 2023 Oct:53:101653. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101653. Epub 2023 Jun 29.

Authors

J Nicole Shelton¹, Kate M Turetsky², Yeji Park³

Affiliations

¹ Princeton University, Psychology Department, 520 Peretsman Scully Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA. Electronic address: nshelton@princeton.edu.
² Barnard College, Columbia University, Psychology Department, 415 Milbank Hall, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY 10027, USA.
³ Princeton University, Psychology Department, 520 Peretsman Scully Hall, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.

PMID: 37499533
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101653

Abstract

Perceived responsiveness-feeling understood, validated, and cared for-is critical for wellbeing and successful relationships, yet these feelings are experienced less frequently in interracial interactions than in same race-interactions. In this article, we synthesize recent research on responsiveness in interracial interactions and relationships. We first highlight how responsiveness differs in interracial versus same-race contexts. We next discuss the role of cross-race partners' goals and motivations in responsiveness, with particular attention to the ways in which self-presentation goals undermine responsiveness as well as emerging research on goals and motivations that may facilitate responsiveness in interracial interactions. Finally, we discuss how a contextual factor, the salience of race, influences responsiveness in interracial interactions.

Keywords: Interracial interactions; Misunderstandings; Responsiveness.

Publication types

Review