The positive feedback bias as a response to self‐image threat

This research examined whether Whites favourably bias their feedback to minorities in order to see themselves as egalitarian. White teacher trainees first had their egalitarian self-images affirmed, left unchanged, or threatened. They then provided feedback on a poorly written essay supposedly authored by either a Black or a White student. As predicted, trainees in the Black writer/self-image threat condition selectively rated essay content more favourably, recommended less time for skill development, provided more favourable copy-editing comments, and generated more equivocating 'buffers'. In contrast, trainees in the Black writer/self-image boost condition supplied feedback indistinguishable from feedback provided by trainees in the White writer conditions, which was unaffected by the self-image conditions. The implications for minority education and intergroup communication are discussed.