Use of a Black 'Culture Assimilator' to Increase Racial Understanding.

N

27

Army Research Inst. for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Arlington, VA.

Acculturation; Armed Forces; Attitude Change; Black Culture; Black Stereotypes; Blacks; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Differences; Culture Conflict; Ethnic Stereotypes; Leadership Training; Methods Research; Military Training; Multicultural Education; Officer Personnel; Racial Attitudes; Racial Discrimination; Racial Relations; Racism; Whites

A study was done to determine the feasibility of using the culture assimilator (a programed learning experience) as a race-relations training technique for junior grade officers. The assimilator is intended to help individuals of one culture better understand the point of view of individuals of another culture. Assimilator items focus on "critical incidents" or situations likely to result in cross-cultural misunderstanding. The incidents in this case were based on taped interviews of black and white officers and enlisted personnel from several Army installations. Four responses with feedback were prepared for each of 100 problems. Field tests were done with eighty-four white junior grade officers and eighty-five black junior grade officers. Results indicated (1) the assimilator's sample problems represented events more familiar to black officers than to white officers; (2) blacks obtained higher scores on the assimilator than whites; (3) evidence of learning by white officers as a function of assimilator training was obtained; (4) evidence was obtained that attitudes and knowledge changed as a function of training; and (5) the face validity of the results was compromised somewhat by uncontrolled testing factors, such as subject fatigue. (Author/CSS)

1979

ED164958