19
is a = 100-((
ŷ-y
min
)/(y
max
- y
min
)) whereby a represents racial policy support (e.g.,
affirmative action) in percent,
ŷ represents the mean of the predicted values for policy
conservatism within a given group, and y
min
and y
max
represent the minimum and
maximum values of the racial policy conservatism scale respectively. The predicted
affirmative action support scores in table 10 and figure 6 were computed in this manner
based on different z-scores for closeness towards African Americans and White
Americans (either on the implicit or on the explicit levels). Predicted affirmative action
scores above 50 percent indicate support for race targeted policies such as affirmative
action, values below 50 percent opposition, and the 50 percent mark indicates neutrality
(neither support nor opposition).
For each Norms-condition, absolute differences are either added or subtracted from the
baseline of implicit z-scores (No-Norms condition). For the ‘White Supremacy’
condition, absolute differences in closeness towards blacks are subtracted from the
corresponding implicit measure while absolute differences in closeness towards whites
are added to the corresponding implicit measure. The same is done for white participants
in the ‘Ingroup Favoritism’ condition, while for African American participants the
reverse is the case. For all other participants in the ‘Ingroup Favoritism’ the implicit
scores are corrected in an anti-black and anti-white direction based on observed absolute
differences. For the ‘Pro-Black’ condition, all absolute differences in closeness towards
African Americans are added to the corresponding implicit closeness measure. As the
simulation moves from ‘White Supremacy’ via ‘Ingroup Favoritism’ to the ‘No-Norms’
condition, a steady increase in support for affirmative action is registered (see weighted
total) that reaches its peak under the ‘Pro Black Norm’.
Support for Affirmative Action Under Different Racial Norms
25
50
75
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Other
Weighted Total
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
o
f
M
a
x
i
m
u
m
S
u
p
p
o
r
t
White Supremacy
Ingroup Favoritism
No-Norm
Pro-Black Norm
Figure 6: Simulating support for affirmative action under different racial norms
Figure 6 displays the predicted level of support for affirmative action by race under four
simulated racial norms conditions. Black bars represent simulated support for affirmative
action under the Norm of White Supremacy, dark gray bars under the Norm of Ingroup
Favoritism. Light gray bars represent simulated support for affirmative action in the
baseline No-Norms condition (based on implicit closeness measures) and white bars
represent support under the Pro-Black Norm (holding closeness to Whites constant at
Convention