Perceptions of Interracial Couples: Prejudice at the Dyadic Level

Three hypotheses about perceptions of interracial couples were tested. European American respondents read descriptions of interracial or intraracial couples and rated the couple and the partners on a variety of dimensions. As predicted, interracial couples were perceived as less compatible than were intraracial couples, but only when the other-race partner was African American, not when he or she was Asian American. Being in an interracial marriage had stronger effects on perceptions of men than women, and different effects on perceptions of minority group men than majority group men on dimensions of perceived racial identity and comfort with same-race others. However, contrary to predictions, there were no differences in perceptions of intraracial couples. Implications for future research on the consequences of perceptions on actual characteristics of interracial couples are discussed.