Personality Factors, Multicultural Exposure, and Cultural Self-Efficacy in a Model of White Fear

White fear, or distrust of non-Whites, has been identified as a key psychosocial cost of racism to Whites. The purpose of this research was to test a model that not only identified (a) what personality characteristics could predict White fear, but also whether (b) exposure to other racial and cultural groups or (c) cultural self-efficacy could predict White fear among a sample of 189 White undergraduates. Cultural self-efficacy was defined as one's perceived ability to interact competently with people from other races and cultures. Neuroticism, Openness, multicultural exposure through family and friends, and cultural self-efficacy were statistically significant predictors of White fear. Mediational analyses revealed that the relation between multicultural exposure and White fear was explained by cultural self-efficacy. The findings suggest that Whites' exposure to people of color can enhance cultural self-efficacy, which can account for the degree to which they will experience White fear.