Tokenism, Reverse Discrimination, and Egalitarianism in Interracial Behavior

Research is reviewed which demonstrates the existence of reverse discrimination (majority group members treating other majority group members worse than they treat members of a minority group) and tokenism (a decrease in subsequent compliance to large interracial requests following prior compliance to smaller requests). While both phenomena can be demonstrated experimentally, within‐subject evidence also exists for egalitarianism (equal treatment to both majority and minority group members). It appears that, when subjects are provided a means of monitoring their own behavior toward majority and minority group members, egalitarianism results. In the absence of an opportunity for monitoring, reverse discrimination occurs.