Two experiments showing the effect of the interviewer's racial background on responses to questionnaires concerning racial issues

Abstract

4 interviewers, 2 Caucasian, 1 Negro and 1 Oriental, asked questions in interviews with householders and college-campus passersby. In 1 experiment, 50 respondents were questioned by each of 2 interviewers; in the other, each of 2 interviewers questioned 25 freshmen, 25 seniors, and 25 house-owners. "Both the Oriental and Negro interviewers found that people were sensitive to their racial origin… . [Respondents] scaled down their expressions to avoid embarrassing the interviewer of the minority race and to protect the 'conversational bridge.' " (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)