Implicit and explicit attitudes towards cultural minorities in Hong Kong

Cultural and racial attitudes may underlie intergroup conflicts and integration. In a sample of 174 local university students in Hong Kong (HK), this study used implicit association tests to contrast attitudes towards Mainland Chinese (same-race outgroup) and South Asians (different-race outgroup). Compared to implicit attitudes toward Hong Kong locals, linear mixed-effects modelling showed that the attitudes were negative to both outgroups, but significantly more so to Mainland Chinese than South Asians. For both outgroups, explicit self-reported stigma did not predict implicit attitudes, while more years spent outside Hong Kong predicted less negative implicit attitudes. Results indicated dissociations between the implicit and explicit measures and that race was not a determining factor for implicit attitudes towards minorities. The negative attitudes suggested needs for targeted interventions, in which exposure to non-local experiences may be a possible avenue. Copyright © 2020 the author(s).