Racial Discrimination Taking Both Ways: Moderation of Social Goal and Task-Type

Findings have been mixed regarding racial discrimination in personnel selections. The current research proposes that varying evaluators’ interdependences with candidates leads to different patterns of racial discrimination in personnel selection situations by eliciting specific social goals (i.e., competition and cooperation goals). We further predict that contexts embedding social goals would also moderate the racial discrimination as stereotypical beliefs about certain racial groups are often mixed. Study 1 demonstrated the effect of social goal on hiring Asian versus White candidates for a occupation ostensibly requiring competence. Study 2 extended the findings of Study by showing that the patterns of discrimination were reversed when evaluators evaluate candidates for a occupation requiring dominance. Studies 1 and 2 also revealed an underlying mechanism: Evaluators’ preferences for Asian and White candidates depended on the extent to which evaluators construe specific traits (i.e., competence vs. dominance) associated with candidates’ race as instrumental to attaining their salient social goals in particular contexts (i.e., tasks or occupations requiring competence vs. dominance). Study 3 replicated the main findings of Study 2 in the field setting. Theoretical implications are discussed.