Perceptions of racism in voter suppression: Testing the Marley hypothesis and a brief educational intervention

The current research tests the Marley hypothesis—the role of historical knowledge as a mediator between racial group differences and perceptions of racism—in the context of voter suppression. In Study 1 (N = 205), Black and White participants completed a voting rights history test, racial identification measures, and perceptions of racism items in the context of voter suppression. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that when racial identity was high, historical knowledge was a significant mediator of the effect of racial category on perceptions of racism and voter suppression. Study 2 (N = 243) examined whether a critical educational intervention about historical racism in voting policies (vs. a control) increased perceptions of racism in voting domains. Study 2 suggested that the intervention was most effective for White and Black Americans reporting low levels of racial identity, but the intervention decreased racism perceptions among highly identified White participants.

Duke Scholars

Author Phia Salter