Interaction, Stereotypes, and Performance: Evidence from South Africa
Lucia Corno, Eliana La Ferrara, Justine Burns
American Economic Review · 2022 · Volume 112 · Issue 12
Abstract
We exploit a policy designed to randomly allocate roommates in a large South African university to investigate whether interracial interaction affects stereotypes, attitudes and performance. Using implicit association tests, we find that living with a roommate of a different race reduces White students' negative stereotypes towards Black students and increases interracial friendships. Interaction also affects academic outcomes: Black students improve their GPA, pass more exams and have lower dropout rates. This effect is not driven by roommate's ability.
Keywords
Micro-Based Behavioral Economics: Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making, Higher Education, Research Institutions, Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants, Non-labor Discrimination, Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
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