Whither the “White Control Group“? On the Benefits of a Comparative Ethnic Minority Psychology

The purpose of this paper is to discuss ethnic comparative research and the role of the “White control group” in such designs. Accordingly, there are two primary goals. First, to describe the rationale for ethnic comparative research, highlighting how research with White youth is based on different assumptions than research with ethnic minority youth. Second, to offer suggestions for how to conduct comparative research, ensuring that studies that include White samples are not conceptualized within a deficit framework. To this end, three recommendations are offered: 1) having a theoretical foundation for comparative studies, 2) including dynamic mediators to explain group differences, and 3) using mixed methods to reveal heterogeneity within groups. This paper is meant to serve as an explication of best practices that researchers could reference when designing their studies, providing rationale for their design, and responding to reviewer comments.