The influence of perspective-taking on stress during discrimination in interracial relationships

Abstract

Interracial couples experience stressors that can negatively impact their relationship quality, such as racial discrimination. In dyads in which one partner identifies as White and the other identifies as Black or Hispanic, the stress due to racial discrimination is associated with differential alternatives: The White partner can end the relationship to stop their experience with the stress of racial discrimination, but Black or Hispanic partners cannot. As such, the White partner is a “weak link” in such relationships, and understanding processes that can mitigate discrimination-induced stress for White partners could be beneficial for interracial relationship longevity. In this study, we examined perspective-taking as a process to reduce momentary, discrimination-based stress. White partners in interracial relationships ( N = 292) were randomly assigned to engage in perspective-taking (or remain objective) when imagining their partner experiencing discrimination (or a common aversive situation). We predicted, and found, that momentary stress was lower for White partners who took their partners’ perspectives while thinking about them experiencing racial discrimination than for those who objectively recounted the details of their partners’ experiencing racial discrimination. In turn, lower momentary stress predicted greater commitment and relationship satisfaction. This indicates that perspective-taking can reduce the momentary stress a White partner experiences during an event of racial discrimination, which may strengthen interracial relationships.

An intersectional approach to understanding minority stressors and relationship satisfaction in sexual and gender minority women’s same-gender interracial/interethnic intimate relationships.

“…Conversely, it is possible the white partner may experience stress on her partner's behalf. Perspective-taking to help the white partner in interracial relationships better understand the toll of discrimination, particularly racism and gendered racism, on their partner may improve relationship satisfaction (Caselli & Machia, 2022). C. C. Brown et al (2019) recommend that couples talk about negative messages they are receiving about their relationship from friends, family members, and society-at-large.…”

“…Conversely, it is possible the white partner may experience stress on her partner’s behalf. Perspective-taking to help the white partner in interracial relationships better understand the toll of discrimination, particularly racism and gendered racism, on their partner may improve relationship satisfaction (Caselli & Machia, 2022). C.…”

“…Further, relationships may often have a “weak link” in which one member of the couple has a discrete set of experiences from their partner. This may be particularly important in interracial relationships in which potentially one partner has lower or no experiences with individual-level discrimination based on race/ethnicity and those discrete levels of experience may have large impacts on relationship satisfaction and longevity (Caselli & Machia, 2022). There is also some evidence that lack of support from families-of-origin has discrete impacts on relationship well-being depending on whether the lack of support is from the family of one or both members of the couple (Bell & Hastings, 2015), again suggesting the importance of dyadic data.…”