Human Communication Research (2025)
Authors: AnneMarie McClain, Marie-Louise Mares
Abstract: In an online experiment, 498 U.S. Black parents (child aged 3–5, 9–11, 15–17) were randomized to imagine their child had “an okay day” or experienced peer racism. They watched four age-appropriate video trailers that varied in affective tone (positive vs. mixed) and theme (race-related vs. not), rated their likelihood of encouraging their child to watch each and selected one. Regardless of condition and child age, encouragement was higher for race-related versus “nonracial” videos. Parents in the racism (vs. okay day) condition had greater odds of selecting race-related content, including racism depictions. As such, results were more consistent with the Selective Exposure Self- and Affect-Management model than Mood Management predictions. Perceptions of child identity strength and parent identity strength predicted encouragement; parent identity strength predicted selection; child age group mostly did not predict outcomes. Effects of condition on selection of racial vs. entertainment content were mediated by three types of goals.