Do Curricular and Cocurricular Diversity Activities Influence Racial Bias? A Meta-Analysis

In response to rapidly changing demographics and increased racial tensions, institutions across the country have implemented diversity-related initiatives-to varying degrees-designed to promote positive intergroup relations. This increased interest has resulted in a growing body of research examining the impact of curricular and cocurricular diversity activities on a variety of outcomes and racial bias in particular. Whereas past reviews have highlighted the inconsistency in the research findings thus far, this study presents the first quantitative synthesis on this topic to date. The findings of this meta-analysis demonstrate that these initiatives do indeed reduce bias and that the effectiveness of this result depends on the characteristics of the program as well as the students.