ABSTRACT

There is widespread segregation between workplaces along ethnic lines. We expand upon previous research on segregation and social influence by testing the effect of the latter on personal diversity preferences, specifically in employees’ selection into hypothetical workplaces. In a survey study with 364 European American respondents in three waves, participants complied with social consensus preferences for either more or less workplace diversity. The new preference was sufficiently internalized to be retained largely unaltered a week later. Simulations suggest a self-reinforcing effect, where accurate social consensus information may be sufficient to change preferences. Given that initial choices were polarized, perceived social consensus can vary highly between people in society, and influencing this perception may feed back into greater acceptance of minorities.

摘要

沿种族界限，工作场所之间存在广泛的隔离。我们通过测试种族隔离和社会影响对个人多样性偏好的影响，特别是在雇员选择假设的工作场所中的影响方面，扩展了对隔离和社会影响的先前研究。在一项针对364名欧洲裔美国受访者的调查研究中，参与者分三批参加，他们或多或少地遵循了工作场所多样性的社会共识偏好。新的偏好已充分内在化，可以在一周后基本保持不变。模拟显示出一种自我强化的效果，其中准确的社会共识信息可能足以改变偏好。鉴于最初的选择是两极分化的，因此社会上不同人之间的感知社会共识可能会有很大差异，