Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
  • Neuroscience
  • About
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology Business

Black employees are perceived as more professional when they adjust their behavior to mirror White norms

by Beth Ellwood
December 5, 2021
in Business, Racism and Discrimination
Share on TwitterShare on Facebook
Stay informed on the latest psychology and neuroscience research—follow PsyPost on LinkedIn for daily updates and insights.

A new study suggests that Black employees who adjust their styles of speech, name selection, and hairstyles to mirror White norms are perceived as more professional in the workplace. The findings come from a study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

The United States’ deep history of racism and the domination of White people in professional settings has led to a bias against Black individuals in the workplace. With Whiteness being associated with professionalism, Black employees are perceived as less competent when presenting with physical characteristics and speech patterns that are associated with Blackness.

A research study led by Courtney L. McCluney aimed to explore how a Black person’s decision to either adjust their behaviors to mirror White norms or not influences the way they are perceived in professional contexts. This behavior adjustment, referred to as racial codeswitching, is commonly adopted by marginalized groups who feel pressure to conform to the norms of the dominant group to gain respect in professional spaces.

The researchers devised two experimental studies. In a first study, a sample of Black and White men and women in America were told to imagine they were a newly-hired lawyer at a law firm and would be listening to a voicemail from a fictitious Black co-worker at their firm. Male participants listened to a recording from a fictitious Black man named Lamar Matthew Jackson, and female participants heard a recording from a fictitious Black woman called La’Keisha Renee Jackson. In the voicemail, the Black co-worker described ways to succeed at the law firm.

Importantly, the study included two conditions, with researchers manipulating whether or not the employee in the voicemail engaged in racial codeswitching. To do this, the researchers varied the sound of the employee’s voice and manipulated their described name choice, hairstyle, and style of speech. After listening to the voicemail, participants were asked to rate the employee’s professionalism and their likelihood of succeeding at the law firm.

As expected, both the Black and White participants rated the co-workers who codeswitched as more professional than the co-workers who did not. Surprisingly, the participants’ race did not impact their judgments of the codeswitching co-workers.

The researchers next recreated the study using text instead of audio. This time, participants read an email from a fictitious Black co-worker who either codeswitched across name selection, style of speech, and hairstyle or did not. After reading the emails, Black participants rated the non-codeswitching co-worker as more professional than did White participants. The researchers say this is likely because Black people are more likely to see value in displays of their racial identity and are less likely to “penalize” Black co-workers for not codeswitching. Still, both Black and White participants rated the codeswitching co-worker as more professional than the non-codeswitching co-worker.

The second study did reveal certain nuances. Black women were more likely to agree with the Black co-worker’s choice to maintain a natural hairstyle while White women were more likely to agree with the Black co-worker’s choice to straighten their hair. This suggests that Black female participants may have viewed the natural hair choice as a positive and culturally significant choice, while the White female participants defaulted to the stigmatization of natural hairstyles and saw the straight hair as more normative.

“Although all employees may behave more professionally at work compared to more casual settings, individuals from stigmatized racial groups may feel a disproportionate pressure to conceal significant cultural aspects of themselves to minimize stereotyping ascribed to their social identities,” McCluney and her team say. This racial codeswitching requires marginalized groups to “suppress their cultural identity”, a burden that is mentally and emotionally taxing and likely reinforces the association between Whiteness and professionalism.

“In light of our research, we recommend that companies expand or redefine what constitutes professionalism so that it encompasses a range of cultural norms, behaviors, and values,” the authors report. “Similarly, employees who wish to build authentic relationships with their Black colleagues may need to turn inward and examine if they deem behaviors not aligned with White norms to be unprofessional.”

The study, “To be, or not to be…Black: The effects of racial codeswitching on perceived professionalism in the workplace”, was authored by Courtney L. McCluney, Myles I. Durkee, Richard E. Smith II, Kathrina J. Robotham, and Serenity Sai-Lai Lee.

TweetSendScanShareSendPin2ShareShareShareShareShare

RELATED

Daughters who feel more attractive report stronger, more protective bonds with their fathers
Artificial Intelligence

People who use AI may pay a social price, according to new psychology research

July 14, 2025

Worried that using AI tools like ChatGPT at work makes you look lazy? New research suggests you might be right. A study finds employees who use AI are often judged more harshly, facing negative perceptions about their competence and effort.

Read moreDetails
Scientists just uncovered a surprising illusion in how we remember time
Racism and Discrimination

Hispanic adolescents experience later sleep timing and greater social jet lag than peers, study finds

July 3, 2025

Hispanic adolescents reported later sleep timing, greater social jet lag, shorter weekday sleep, higher caffeine intake, and more evening screen time than peers. Screen use and stress, but not caffeine, were linked to delayed sleep and sleep misalignment.

Read moreDetails
Scientists observe reduced emotional distress in children living near greenery
Racism and Discrimination

Adults’ beliefs about children and race shift when a child’s race is specified, study finds

June 21, 2025

Specifying a child’s race alters how adults perceive their awareness of race and racism, according to new research. Black children are viewed as less “color-evasive” and more racially aware at earlier ages than White children or generic “children.”

Read moreDetails
Troubling study shows “politics can trump truth” to a surprising degree, regardless of education or analytical ability
Donald Trump

Racial insecurity helped shield Trump from Republican backlash after Capitol riot, study suggests

June 18, 2025

Despite widespread condemnation of the January 6th attack, many white Republicans remained loyal to Trump—especially those who perceived anti-white discrimination. A new study shows how racial status threat can protect political leaders from the consequences of norm violations.

Read moreDetails
Some dark personality traits may help buffer against depression, new psychology research suggests
COVID-19

COVID-19 coverage linked to rise in anti-Asian sentiment, especially among Trump supporters

June 17, 2025

Americans became less favorable toward Asians as COVID-19 spread and news coverage intensified, according to a new study. The drop was strongest among Trump supporters, highlighting how political rhetoric and fear shaped public opinion during the pandemic.

Read moreDetails
New research identifies two belief systems that shape reactions to diversity initiatives
Racism and Discrimination

White Americans do not feel threatened by demographic change, new study finds

June 10, 2025

A new study casts doubt on the idea that White Americans respond negatively to news about becoming a demographic minority, finding little evidence that such messages influence political views, racial attitudes, or feelings of threat across ideological lines.

Read moreDetails
Authoritarianism in parents may hinder a key cognitive skill in their children
Political Psychology

New research sheds light on growing support for Black candidates among white Democrats

June 2, 2025

New research shows that white Democrats are increasingly choosing Black candidates over white ones in hypothetical elections. The change reflects a broader shift in racial attitudes, especially among those concerned about discrimination and opposed to Donald Trump’s rhetoric.

Read moreDetails
Here’s what the data says about who actually benefits from DEI
Business

Here’s what the data says about who actually benefits from DEI

May 31, 2025

What’s the actual impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion? A sociologist unpacks decades of research showing how DEI programs affect businesses, education, and the broader economy—highlighting who benefits, who doesn’t, and what the data really says.

Read moreDetails

SUBSCRIBE

Go Ad-Free! Click here to subscribe to PsyPost and support independent science journalism!

STAY CONNECTED

LATEST

Scientists identify the brain’s built-in brake for binge drinking

Trump’s speeches stump AI: Study reveals ChatGPT’s struggle with metaphors

Childhood maltreatment linked to emotion regulation difficulties and teen mental health problems

Caffeine may help prevent depression-like symptoms by protecting the gut-brain connection

Secret changes to major U.S. health datasets raise alarms

Moral outrage spreads petitions online—but doesn’t always inspire people to sign them

The triglyceride-glucose index: Can it predict depression risk in the elderly?

People with ADHD exhibit altered brain activity before making high-stakes choices

         
       
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
[Do not sell my information]

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy