Racial Equity in Social Psychological Science: A Guide for Scholars, Institutions, and the Field

How can social psychologists ensure their scholarship does not maintain racial inequality—or better, is anti-racist? This article serves as a reference for scholars by briefly reviewing the state of racial inequality in psychological science before providing concise yet comprehensive recommendations. Challenges include a) the field’s historic role in inequality-maintenance (especially by reinforcing harmful stereotypes), b) pervasive objectivity norms that reify Whiteness as the status quo, and c) the inequitable allocation of resources to White scholars and White-centered scholarship. Recommendations center on a) methodological practices during the research process (from idea generation to manuscript preparation), b) empirical transparency from scholars during the publication process, and c) institutional, resource-focused support from gatekeepers (e.g., editors, senior faculty) to incentivize the diversification of our science.