New research in Social Psychological and Personality Science shows that White Americans living in counties with higher Black poverty rates are more likely to believe racial equality of opportunity exists, while attributing racial disparities to lack of effort.
Led by Dr. Nicolas Sommet, the research included three studies with over 17,000 participants across hundreds of U.S. counties, using both observational and experimental methods to examine how exposure to racial inequality shapes beliefs about its causes.
"Our findings highlight how the environment we live in shapes how we understand racial inequality," explains Dr. Sommet of the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. "We found that White Americans living in areas with higher Black poverty rates are paradoxically more likely to believe that racial equality of opportunity exists and to attribute Black poverty to a lack of effort."
The research demonstrates that in U.S. counties where Black poverty is 10 percentage points higher than average, White residents are 13% more likely to attribute racial inequality to a lack of motivation among Black Americans.
These beliefs have significant consequences. The study shows that such attributions predict reduced support for policies designed to address racial disparities, potentially reinforcing existing inequalities.
This pattern stems from psychological discomfort. When experimentally exposed to information about Black poverty, White Americans experienced increased interracial anxiety and identity threat, leading them to make more internal attributions about the causes of racial inequality.
"Our research does not suggest intentional efforts; rather, it offers evidence of a self-protective mechanism," Dr. Sommet notes. "When confronted with racial inequality, White Americans adopt the belief that Black Americans are responsible for their own economic plight as a way to ease discomfort about privilege or group responsibility."
While exposure to Black poverty consistently led White Americans to emphasize individual explanations, its effect on structural explanations like discrimination was less consistent.
"Not all of our hypotheses were confirmed," adds Dr. Sommet. "Their views on systemic factors were less consistent across studies. This highlights how some beliefs can become stronger without necessarily weakening other beliefs."
The implications extend beyond these findings. In areas where Black Americans experience higher poverty, harsher judgment and individual blame may hinder efforts aimed at closing racial disparities.
Dr. Sommet suggests that the findings may also apply beyond Black-White relations: "Future research could examine whether similar psychological patterns emerge in other contexts—such as when majority group members encounter poverty among marginalized ethnic, religious, or cultural communities."
The research contributes to social psychological work on intergroup relations and builds on social identity theory, which suggests individuals are motivated to maintain a positive perception of their own group.
