“Shopping While Black”: Examining Racial Discrimination in a Retail Setting

Authors: Schreer, GeorgeE.; Smith, Saundra; Thomas, Kirsten

Source: Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Volume 39, Number 6, June 2009 , pp. 1432-1444(13)

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Abstract:

To investigate racial discrimination in the marketplace, we conducted a field experiment to examine both overt and subtle forms of retail discrimination. “Customers” browsing in high-end retail stores asked a salesperson if they would remove a security sensor from a pair of sunglasses prior to trying them on in front of a mirror. Although the request to remove the sensor was granted in all conditions, the salespersons showed greater levels of suspicion (i.e., staring, following) in the Black conditions, especially in the male-group condition. These findings are consistent with current field research examining subtle biases toward other stigmatized groups.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00489.x

Affiliations: 1: Manhattanville College

Publication date: 2009-06-01