Online Social Support During Discussions of Racism: Affirming Shared Reality Across Racial Lines

Abstract

Despite recent attempts at reform, racial discrimination against people of color (POC) remains prevalent, with serious psychological and physical consequences. In prior research on imagined interactions, POC seeking social support for racism tended to prefer validation (i.e., empathizing and acknowledging negative thoughts or emotions in response to the experience) over reframing (i.e., reinterpreting the experience in a positive light) and feel more supported by same-race than White conversation partners. However, most research has been limited to manipulating support through standardized vignettes and investigating partner race preferences with hypothetical support interactions. The current study increases external validity by leveraging an online chat platform that enables participants to engage in real-time conversations with partners (confederates who provide differing types of support), while manipulating their ostensible race. Replicating and extending past research, participants generally reported more favorable outcomes after receiving validation (vs. reframing) and when chatting with ostensibly same-race (vs. White) partners. In moderation analyses, these differences are especially strong for participants chronically higher in suspicion of White people’s motives for unprejudiced actions and for those who disclosed experiences that (a) were perpetrated by a White person, (b) felt more severe, or (c) felt more distant. Additionally, mediation analyses with both hypothesized and exploratory mediators showed these more favorable outcomes were mediated by perceptions of racial shared reality and perceptions that the confederate was trying to affirm (i.e., respect) them. Implications for fostering responsive social support for POC who have experienced racial discrimination are discussed.