Perception of Personality and Social Behaviour in Different Racial Groups by Black and White University Students

Abstract

One hundred and eighty-six white and 225 black first-year psychology students at the universities of Rhodes and Fort Hare completed a modified form of Wrightsman's Philosophy of Human Nature scale as a measure of perception of one of five race groups. Black respondents perceived their own group as more Trustworthy, Conventionally Good and Variable and as more Altruistic (male respondents only). Blacks were most Cynical about the white group and rated them lower than blacks or coloureds on Trustworthiness and on Altruism. Unexpectedly, white respondents had a relatively unfavourable perception of their own group, rating it lower than other groups on Trustworthiness, Altruism (female respondents only) and Conventional Goodness and having the highest Cynicism scores for their own group. Whites perceived indians particularly favourably, rating them high on Trustworthiness, Altruism, Conventional Goodness, Independence and Strength of Will/Rationality, and being least Cynical about them. Whites rated blacks low on Strength of Will/Rationality which was interpreted to mean that blacks were perceived to have low internal locus of control (a perception not shared by the black respondents themselves).