Date of Award
5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Dr. Jane Berry
Abstract
Research has found that when we first look at someone, we make impressions about how they are as a person, which can lead to negative real-world consequences. However, this research mainly looks at young and/or white faces, leaving those with multiple marginalized identities out. This is especially concerning for older Black women since they are at risk of facing racism, sexism, and ageism. Even when looking at stereotyping research, nothing looks at all three factors combined, meaning there is no clear answer to what older Black women are experiencing. In this study, we aimed to assess how older Black women are perceived compared to other women, specifically older white women, young Black women, and young white women. To do this, we used four faces, one to represent each group, and 20 questions based off of the five domains of personality to assess how women were being assigned traits like extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and imagination/intellect. Participants were then given a survey, shown each face, and asked to answer the 20 questions for each one. Results for agreeableness, emotional stability, and imagination/intellect showed that Black women were rated more highly than white women and young women were rated more highly than older women. The same was found for conscientiousness, except the older white woman was driving these effects with a significantly lower score. The opposite of this was found for extraversion, with the older white woman receiving a significantly higher rating than the rest. This sheds light on how age and race may affect both the stereotypes assigned to people and how positively people are perceived based on their identities.
Recommended Citation
Sulla, Kumiko, "Race and Age: How Can Your Identities Change How People See You?" (2025). Honors Theses. 1852.
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/honors-theses/1852
