Modeling Complex Verbal Relations within Racial Stereotyping: A Translational Analysis of Relational Density

The present study was a translational analysis of relational density theory (RDT; Belisle & Dixon, 2020) in evaluating relational frames that may orient and evoke prejudiced behavior against Black communities. RDT proposes that relations differ in the degree of their relatedness, thus allowing for the analysis of large relational networks. We obtained stimuli from four existing studies comparing implicit relational behavior occasioned by racially white and black images and words to construct a 30-member relational network. Participants then ranked the degree of relatedness for each stimulus pair on a 10-point scale. By analyzing the relative relatedness of each stimulus pair, we constructed a two-dimensional geometric representation of the relational behavior of this group of participants using a multidimensional scaling procedure. Results revealed distinct classes along a first dimension based on race (i.e., white images clustered together, and black images clustered together) and along a second dimension based on approach and avoidance functions. Moreover, latent patterns were apparent within this representation of the relational behavior of our sample with important implications for understanding racial stereotyping of Black bodies and harm experienced by Black communities.