• 10% whites vs 57% blacks say discrimination still exists; over 1/3 whites vs3% blacks say blacks are the instigators of racial tensions
• over 50% whites believe POC have achieved equality; 76% whites vs less than 50% blacks say blacks receive equal tmt
•  the ability to impose a worldview upon other groups who differ in their perspectives is based on power - to define reality - can be orchestrated thru mass media.
• whose racial reality hold true? #1 unconscious biases exist in many mainstream individuals, #2 they often appear as unintentional discrimination, #3 the most disempowered groups have a more accurate assessmt of reality
• women who work with men say they must understand the thinking & mindset of male colleagues in order to do well in the company
• same with lgbts & AAs their group survival is based on the ability to read the minds of majority group in power-they must understand their thinking, thoughts, actions in order to survive
• POC developed a heightened perceptual awareness that is derived from adversity. this hypervigilance in discerning motives, attitudes, & unintended biases of whites is perceived by minority group as functional survival skills not paranoia

•  experiment with white officers revealed that they are more likely to shoot at unarmed  blacks than white one.
• another experiment with black vs white injured motorist findings revealed that when whites are the only eyewitness they will stop & assist. when the situation is clearly discriminatory, aversive racist will less likely to participate.
• but when whites believe others saw the black motorist, they responded less in the second scenario. they will unconsciously discriminate when anonymity is present
• modern form of racism exist in the form of failure to help than desire to hurt-meaning inaction of doing nothing is the center of bias expression
• modern form of bias will most likely appear in ambiguous situations where right or wrong behavior is unclear or when other reasons are given for their biased actions
• being able to give legitimate-sounding reasons for 1s actions protects the person from realizing he/she unintended discriminated against POC; it allows people to illusion that they acted properly & without bias.

•  Studies reveal that racial MAs while trivial have major consequences for POC & women:
• #1 they assail the mental health of targets causing anger, frustration, low self-esteem, emotional turmoil
• #2 they create a hostile & invalidating campus or work climate
• #3 they perpetuate stereotype threat
• #4 they create physical & psychological health problems
• #5 they saturate the broader society with cues that signal devaluation of social group identities
• #6 they lower work productivity & problem-solving abilities

• the perception of minimal harm from MAs is a psychological dilemma frequently encountered by POC, women, lgbts when they try to discuss the harmful impact of a microaggressive encounter.but they contribute to major harm to recipients.
• Whites say researchers are making a mountain out of a molehill portraying minorities as weak & oversensitive or
• the analysis is 1sided by placing the blame on perpetrators when an interactional analysis should consider interpersonal complementarity (both parties contribute to the outcome)
• POC must live thru the indignities & oppression that have been visible thruout hx & to present
• POC experience racial MAs not on occasion but everyday continuously
• He likens MAs as an interpersonal & psychodynamic dance & states when 2 people are engaged in such unconscious interaction..both are victims
• He label our negative views of racism as victim philosophy & should focus on positive human nature, clt assets, & potential solutions
• this thinking as the perpetrator blaming the victim, & playing the victim

• 1st a MA induces attributional ambiguity was it a ma? it depletes psychological energy by diverting attention away ...in an attempt to interpret the motive & meaning of the person's actions.
• #1 discern the truth, #2 protect oneself from insults & invalidations, #3 try to ascertain what actions s/b taken
• as a result the target is not fully engaged in the worksite or classroom; their productivity, problem-solving abilities, & learning capabilities can suffer immensely

Doing nothing in response to MA happenes for several reasons:

1. attributional ambiguity - inability to determine whether a MA has occurred
2. response indecision - not knowing the best way or how to respond
3. time-limited responding - the incident is over before a response can be made
4. denying experiential reality - engaging in self-deception by believing it did not happen..for 2 reasons: #1 a close & interdependent relationship with offender & #2 fear of acknowledging what the MA may say about the recipient
5. impotency of actions - it won't do any good, anyway-believing that 1s actions will have minimal positive impact on the situation
6. fearing the consequences-interpersonal power differentials determine degree of threat. recipients fail to response for fear of retaliation esp when they are disempowered in the situation.

1. do not invalidate the experiential realities of diverse groups in our society. be aware that privilege & power oftentimes make it difficult to see perspectives of those who experience discrimination & prejudice in their daily lives
2. be open to discuss, explore, clarify the issues when confronted by minority group member - it will have a liberating effect on minority group member
3. be empathic to the reactions of minority group members when they respond as it is b/c of systems of unfairness & multiple experiences why they flair up over MAs