Evaluations of four ethnic groups: Level of ethnocentrism, favourability, and social distance

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between ethnocentrism and evaluation of familiar national groups by Australians. Two hundred and fifteen undergraduate psychology students who were high, medium or low ethnocentrics completed favourability and social distance ratings for four groups: Australian Aborigines, Russians, Greeks and White Australians. Results indicated that high ethnocentrics rated White Australians most favourably, Greeks next, and Australian Aborigines and Russians least favourably. Medium ethnocentrics rated White Australians most favourably, but did not differentiate among the other three groups. Finally, low ethnocentrics did not differentiate among the four groups in their favourability ratings. Subjects at all levels of ethnocentrism preferred closer social contact with White Australians than with any other group, but low ethnocentrics accepted closer contact with all three outgroups than did medium or high ethnocentrics. It appears that differences in level of ethnocentrism are still related to perceptions of specific ethnic groups in Australia.