Gendered-Racial Stereotypic Beliefs about African American Women and Relationship Quality

There is limited research examining factors that impact the quality of African American heterosexual intimate relationships. While scholars have theorized that the endorsement of stereotypes negatively impact these relationships, no previous studies have examined this claim. This study aimed to fill a gap in the literature by exploring the effect of gendered-racial stereotypes of African American women on relationship satisfaction. Using a community sample of 137 African Americans, who were married or in a committed dating relationship, it was found that for both African American men and women higher levels of endorsement of the Jezebel stereotype predicted lower levels of relationship satisfaction. The researchers discuss the implications of this finding and provide suggestions for future research.