Background/Purpose Racial minorities face access discrimination in intercollegiate athletics (DeHass, 2008), but few researchers have examined the experiences of women of color (e.g., Bruening, 2005). Furthermore, prejudice attribution theory points to the importance of one's racial identity (Kaiser & Pratt-Hyatt, 2009). The purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the ratings of African American women job applicants who differed based on their racial identity (high or low).
Method Data were collected from 50 undergraduate students in a college in the Southwest. Participants reviewed applications for an athletic director position at a mid-sized university. The packets were randomly assigned and varied based on the racial identity of the applicant, as depicted by the activities in which the applicant is engaged (see also Kaiser & Pratt-Hyatt, 2009). Applicants were rated based on their attractiveness and perceived fit with the job.
Analysis/Results ANOVA showed that the applicant with low racial identity was viewed as more attractive, F (1, 48) = 8.90, p < .01, and a better fit for the job, F (1, 48) = 5.24, p < .05, than the highly identified applicant. A regressions analysis, controlling for racial identity, revealed that attractiveness was positively associated with person-job fit (b = .43, p < .01), accounting for 22% unique variance.
Conclusions Results demonstrate the influence of racial identity on job-related decisions. Low racially identified applicants are seen as more attractive; and better fit for the job than their counterparts who are highly identified, which may affect hiring outcomes.
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