Social Desirability, Religious Orientation, and Racial Prejudice

The previously reported negative correlation between intrinsic religion and racial prejudice could be an artifact of social desirability. To test this proposition, 51 undergraduates interested in religion participated in a study. Racial prejudice was measured in two ways, in a standard questionnaire session and in a situation where responses had clear behavioral consequences. Consistent with previous research, intrinsic religion correlated negatively with the questionnaire measure of prejudice. But as expected, intrinsic religion also correlated positively with a measure of social desirability. When the effects of social desirability were controlled, the negative correlation between intrinsic religion and prejudice either diminished (psychometric control) or disappeared (behavioral control). Another orientation to religion, religion as quest, correlated negatively with racial prejudice even when social desirability was controlled.