Assessing Racial Preferences in Movies: The Impact of Mere-Exposure and Social Identity Theory

Abstract

Current media attention on the lack of racial diversity in the movie and TV industry in the US suggests that there is an innate bias of Whitewashing in the US media by media executives (Jones, 2016). However, some have suggested that the Whitewashing is an audience preference. Is the preference for White actors a product of bias by media executives or driven by audience preferences? This study tested whether social identity theory or the mere-exposure effect would have an impact on the racial preference of actors for monoracial People of Color, Multiracial, and White individuals. We found a preference for White actors and Whitewashing, but this preference was only found for Western stories and by monoracial People of Color Minorities when they were exposed to Asian actors. These findings suggest that other factors, specifically cultural values may be important in understanding preference for White actors in the media.

A Design Theory for Spontaneous Volunteer Coordination Systems in Disaster Response

“…Simple prejudice and rational decision-based discrimination can be difficult to disentangle, given that motives are often unobserved (Pager & Shepherd, 2008). Several studies have examined the majority groups' discrimination against the minority in the film industry (Aumer et al, 2017;Weaver, 2011). Findings from these studies indicate that substituting racial minority actors for the majority might not be readily accepted by the audience.…”

The Representation of Refugees in Films and Its Impact on Attitudes Towards North Korean Defectors

“…By merely increasing the chance of exposing white actors and actresses in movies, people will later not only expect but be generally comfortable about most characters being white. 4 Further, they will have been conditioned unconsciously to feel discomfort corresponding with any overt changes to the dominance of white actors on the screen, making the increased presence of minorities feel not just surprising to many but troublesome or even disturbing. Since most people protect their self-esteem partly through the positive representation of their own group, and vice versa, it is clear how this cyclic effect would deepen the cultural and racial disparities-solidifying "white" as the majority and hindering diverse racial groups from getting further involved in the film industry.…”