Amodio (2012) explores the anxiety affects that both white participants and black participant’s experiences when preparing to interact with one another. This includes hostility, bias, and misunderstandings from both parties. Amodio refers to this as intergroup anxiety. Intergroup social interactions often elicit anxiety, and this anxiety may have implications for the way stereotypes and prejudices come to mind in such situations. Participants were randomly assigned to either a black or white partner. In their research, Amodio’s participants were told to predict the race of an individual based on their name. The participants who anticipated an interracial interaction reported greater anxiety than participants preparing for a same race interaction.
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Regarding intergroup bias, several studies have found that college students perceive that prejudice exists on their campus. In examining thee facets of a college climate (general, academic, and racial), Hispanic American, African American, and Asian American students perceived their campus climates less favorable than European American students. It is the author’s belief that ESO’s reduce real or perceived intergroup bias by nurturing a sense of belonging among ethnic minority students with respect to the university. Student organizations have been found to increase skill development and personal growth. There have also been studies that show ESOs in an unfavorable light. Participation in ESOs might contribute to higher levels of ethnic tension and intergroup bias, as well as ethnic segregation on campuses. ESOs may also contribute to ethnic separatism on campus. At the university where this study was done, 28.8% of Hispanic American, 42% of Asian American, and 60.4% of African American students, yet only 1% of European American students were part of an ESO. A student was able to express his anger as the following: “Being white means … that there are all sorts of tutoring groups and special groups and special programs that you can’t get into, because you’re not a minority” (Kent, 1996). Sidaniun (2004) mentions that “groups such as fraternities and sororities were not established for the expressed purpose of celebrating European American culture and achievement. These groups have historically served the needs of European Americans, as well as excluded students from diverse ethnic backgrounds”. The current study hypothesized that students, irrespective of their ethnicity, would be more accepting of ESOs that focus on ethnic minority groups than and ESO focused on European American students. The results showed that European American
Regarding intergroup bias, several studies have found that college students perceive that prejudice exists on their campus. In examining thee facets of a college climate (general, academic, and racial), Hispanic American, African American, and Asian American students perceived their campus climates less favorable than European American students. It is the author’s belief that ESO’s reduce real or perceived intergroup bias by nurturing a sense of belonging among ethnic minority students with respect to the university. Student organizations have been found to increase skill development and personal growth. There have also been studies that show ESOs in an unfavorable light. Participation in ESOs might contribute to higher levels of ethnic tension and intergroup bias, as well as ethnic segregation on campuses. ESOs may also contribute to ethnic separatism on campus. At the university where this study was done, 28.8% of Hispanic American, 42% of Asian American, and 60.4% of African American students, yet only 1% of European American students were part of an ESO. A student was able to express his anger as the following: “Being white means … that there are all sorts of tutoring groups and special groups and special programs that you can’t get into, because you’re not a minority” (Kent, 1996). Sidaniun (2004) mentions that “groups such as fraternities and sororities were not established for the expressed purpose of celebrating European American culture and achievement. These groups have historically served the needs of European Americans, as well as excluded students from diverse ethnic backgrounds”. The current study hypothesized that students, irrespective of their ethnicity, would be more accepting of ESOs that focus on ethnic minority groups than and ESO focused on European American students. The results showed that European American