Whites discriminate most when bias can be excused by nonracial factors like bystander presence

Evidence

“Aversive racism” (Dovidio & Gaertner, 2004) assumes that most Whites today sincerely hold an egalitarian value system, but that negative racial affect remains common, perhaps more often taking the form of discomfort or uneasiness than of hostility. Whites have trouble acknowledging anti-Black feelings, so aversive racism is often expressed in subtle ways that protect nonprejudiced self-images. For example, people racially discriminate by avoiding minority-group members in distress when failure to help can be explained on the basis of some factor other than race (e.g., the belief that someone else might intervene). — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 2169

Categorization

• SEED: Testable mechanism for bystander-effect research: reframe the classic bystander apathy finding as in part a racial-aversive phenomenon, not just diffusion of responsibility.
• XREF: Connects to Milgram/obedience and bystander-effect literature on conditions that license otherwise-suppressed behavior. — connects to: Unintentional racial microaggressions flow from well-meaning whites who deny their own bias. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1254; Whites dismiss individual microaggressions because they cannot see the accumulated pattern. — Rebecca A. Martusewicz, Jeff Edmundson, and John Lupinacci, EcoJustice Education: Toward Diverse,…, 1262