Reducing negative affect and increasing rapport improve interracial mentorship outcomes

Abstract

Research suggests that interracial mentoring relationships are strained by negative affect and low rapport. As such, it stands to reason that strategies that decrease negative affect and increase rapport should improve these relationships. However, previous research has not tested this possibility. In video-chats (Studies 1 and 2) and face-to-face meetings (Study 3), we manipulated the degree of mutual self-disclosure between mentees and mentors, a strategy that has been shown to reduce negative affect and increase rapport. We then measured negative affect and rapport as mediators, and mentee performance (quality of speech delivered; Studies 1 and 3) and mentor performance (warmth and helpfulness; Studies 2 and 3) as key outcomes. Results revealed that increased self-disclosure decreased negative affect and increased rapport for both mentees and mentors. Among mentees, decreased negative affect predicted better performance (Studies 1 and 3). Among mentors, increased rapport predicted warmer feedback (Studies 2 and 3). These effects remained significant when we meta-analyzed data across studies (Study 4), and also revealed the relationship of rapport to more helpful feedback. Findings suggest that affect and rapport are key features in facilitating positive outcomes in interracial mentoring relationships.

Racial Inequality in Academia: Systemic Origins, Modern Challenges, and Policy Recommendations

“…Academic institutions should also be more mindful of mentorship. Interracial mentorship relationships are less likely to arise organically and more likely to involve tension or low rapport (Boykin & Smith, 2019; Leitner et al, 2018), jeopardizing people of color’s upward mobility. Academic institutions can mitigate these effects by taking an explicit approach to mentoring, be it hierarchical or peer-based.…”

Motivations to Control Prejudice Bias Performance Feedback in Developmental Relationships

“…As noted earlier, motivation to control prejudice does not equate to the motivated individual actually being prejudiced (Dunton & Fazio, 1997;Plant & Devine, 1998); however, given that the current study does not explore the individual's prejudice, the impact of the intersection of rater prejudice and the rater motivations to control that prejudice on the feedback given cannot be explored and should be explored in future research. Similarly, prior research has shown the quality of feedback is also susceptible to intra-and interpersonal influences such as perceived similarity (Eby et al, 2013), ratee attachment style (Allen et al, 2010), and rapport between rater and ratee (Leitner et al, 2018); however, although such variables were not explored in this study, future research should consider how these variables interact with motivations to control prejudice to impact feedback.…”

“…The expectation is that better speech performance would lead to more positive feedback, and the strength of this association helps preserve a fundamental goal of feedback. Additionally, within the context of cross-racial mentorships with minority mentees, it can be important for mentees development that both positive and negative feedback be delivered with warmth (Boykin, Mendoza-Denton, & Patt, 2015;Leitner et. al.…”

Go beyond bias training

“…and his colleagues published a study earlier this year intended to model interracial mentoring 10 . Some participants were asked to play the part of mentor, giving feedback on a speech for which a trainee had just three minutes to prepare.…”