Interethnic aggression and willingness to help: Judgments of Black and White victims and perpetrators

In this study we explored the effect of ethnicity on aggression and helping behavior. Black participants and White participants each read a vignette describing an incident in which the ethnicity of the aggressor and victim were varied. Participants judged the harmfulness of the aggressor and indicated whether they would be willing to help the victim. Results revealed significant differences in judgments of aggression and willingness to help that were associated with the ethnicity of the aggressor depicted in the vignettes, as well as with participants’ own ethnicity.