The impact of skin tone on photoacoustic oximetry and tools to minimize bias

Racism and its ramifications are salient societal-level factors that detrimentally affect African American youth and families. Few studies have investigated how African American youth experience discrimination within families and society and colorism’s impact on racial identity, despite extensive racial discrimination research. We assessed whether the perceptions of African American youth of their skin tone affected their racial identity, familial functioning, and everyday discrimination, using the National Survey of American Life–Adolescent Supplement data. We found no significant relationships among skin tone perception, racial identity, familial functioning, or everyday experiences of discrimination. Conversely, age and gender differences were significant predictors of racial identity, family functioning, and discrimination reports. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for social work practice.

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Genderized Workplace Lookism in the U.S. and Abroad

Discrimination and Diversity ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1933-1.ch005 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 61-85

Author(s):

Cynthia Howard Sims

Keyword(s):

Cultural Values ◽

The United States ◽

Skin Tone ◽

Hair Color ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Global Workforce ◽

Career Opportunities ◽

Development Professionals ◽

The Impact ◽

The U.S

Lookism is preferential treatment of those considered to be attractive and discrimination against those deemed less physically desirable. Value is attached to certain physical characteristics such as skin tone, height, weight, facial features, and hair color/textures. Two of the phenomena that exist under the umbrella of lookism are colorism and weightism, which are both genderized phenomenon that create social and workplace inequities. There are studies that explore physical appearance discrimination external to and within workplaces in the United States; however, there is little research on the impact of these prejudices on women abroad. Since today's global workforce is composed of women from various countries and cultural backgrounds, and their cultural values impact their career aspirations and career opportunities, organizational and career development professionals must understand the implications of both U.S. and international lookism and utilize strategies to address and prevent the related issues.

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The Impact of Gendered Lookism During Employment Stages

Implementation Strategies for Improving Diversity in Organizations - Advances in Human Resources Management and Organizational Development ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-4745-8.ch003 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 75-109

Author(s):

Cynthia Sims

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Cultural Values ◽

The United States ◽

Skin Tone ◽

Hair Color ◽

Cultural Backgrounds ◽

Global Workforce ◽

Career Opportunities ◽

Development Professionals ◽

The Impact

Lookism is preferential treatment of those considered to be attractive and discrimination against those deemed less physically desirable. Value is attached to certain physical characteristics such as skin tone, weight, facial features, and hair color. Two of the phenomena that exist under the umbrella of lookism are colorism and weightism, both of which create social and workplace inequities. There are studies that explore physical appearance discrimination external to and within workplaces in the United States, and an emerging body of literature regarding lookism abroad exists. Some of this research focuses on women's experiences with lookism in the workplace. Since today's global workforce is composed of women from various countries and cultural backgrounds, and their cultural values impact their career aspirations and career opportunities, organizational and career development professionals must understand the implications of both U.S. and global lookism and employ strategies to address and prevent the related issues.

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The impact of face skin tone on perceived facial attractiveness: A study realized with an innovative methodology

The Journal of Social Psychology ◽

10.1080/00224545.2017.1419161 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 158 (5) ◽

pp. 580-590 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Germano Vera Cruz

Keyword(s):

Facial Attractiveness ◽

Skin Tone ◽

Innovative Methodology ◽

The Impact

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Exploring the impact of skin tone on family dynamics and race-related outcomes.

Journal of Family Psychology ◽

10.1037/a0033883 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 27 (5) ◽

pp. 817-826 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Antoinette M. Landor ◽

Leslie Gordon Simons ◽

Ronald L. Simons ◽

Gene H. Brody ◽

Chalandra M. Bryant ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Family Dynamics ◽

Skin Tone ◽

The Impact

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The Impact of User Biases Toward a Virtual Human’s Skin Tone on Triage Errors Within a Virtual World for Emergency Management Training

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1541931213601998 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 2057-2061 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah A. Zipp ◽

Tyler Krause ◽

Scotty D. Craig*

Keyword(s):

Emergency Management ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Virtual Environments ◽

Virtual World ◽

Management Training ◽

Skin Tone ◽

Mixed Design ◽

Within Subjects ◽

Ethnic Biases ◽

The Impact

Biases influence the decisions people make in everyday life, even if they are unaware of it. This behavior transfers into social interactions in virtual environments. These systems are becoming an increasingly common platform for training, so it is critical to understand how biases will impact them. The present study investigates the effect of the ethnicity bias on error behaviors within a virtual world for medical triage training. Two between subjects variables, participant skin tone (light, dark) and avatar skin tone (light, dark), and one within subjects variable, agent/patient skin tone (light, dark), were manipulated to create a 2 X 2 X 2 mixed design with four conditions. Effects on errors were observed on errors made while helping patient (agents). Participants made considerably more errors while triaging dark-skinned agents which increased the amount of time spent on them, in comparison to light-skinned agents. Within a virtual world for training, people apply general ethnic biases against dark-skinned individuals, which is important to consider when designing such systems because the biases could impact the effectiveness of the training.

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The color continuum: Skin tone and online dating preferences among Asian Americans

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships ◽

10.1177/0265407519847772 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (11-12) ◽

pp. 4027-4047

Author(s):

Glenn T. Tsunokai ◽

Augustine J. Kposowa ◽

Ellen Carroll ◽

Miriam Karamoko

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

African Americans ◽

Skin Color ◽

Selection Process ◽

Online Dating ◽

Skin Tone ◽

Color Variation ◽

Gay Males ◽

Color Differences ◽

The Impact

Despite the increasing body of literature surrounding online dating preferences, there remains a paucity of research that analyzes whether skin color influences the dating selection process. To fill this empirical gap, the present study uses data collected from 2,024 Asian dating profiles, including the skin tone of the daters, to assess the impact that skin color variation may have on the inter- and intraracial dating preferences of heterosexual males and females as well as gay males and lesbians. This research also examines whether skin tone has a pronounced effect on the relationship between sexual orientation and the willingness to date Asians, African Americans, and Latino/Latinas. The current findings suggest that darker skinned Asians are more likely to state a preference to date African Americans and Latino/Latinas compared to their lighter skinned counterparts; however, they are less willing to date another Asian. The results also document significant interaction effects between sexual orientation and skin color differences. Our findings are discussed in relation to the racial hierarchy of preference and privilege that are inherently linked to the longstanding concept of colorism.

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Women’s Disempowerment and Preferences for Skin Lightening Products That Reinforce Colorism: Experimental Evidence From India

Psychology of Women Quarterly ◽

10.1177/0361684321993796 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 036168432199379

Author(s):

Arzi Adbi ◽

Chirantan Chatterjee ◽

Clarissa Cortland ◽

Zoe Kinias ◽

Jasjit Singh

Keyword(s):

Experimental Evidence ◽

Risk Taking ◽

Women Of Color ◽

Skin Color ◽

Skin Tone ◽

Behavioral Risk ◽

Racial Groups ◽

Teaching Faculty ◽

The Impact ◽

Skin Lightening

Global racism and colorism, the preference for fairer skin even within ethnic and racial groups, leads millions of women of African, Asian, and Latin descent to use products with chemical ingredients intended to lighten skin color. Drawing from literatures on the impact of chronic and situational disempowerment on behavioral risk-taking to enhance status, we hypothesized that activating feelings of disempowerment would increase women of color’s interest in stronger and riskier products meant to lighten skin tone quickly and effectively. In two experiments (Experiment 1: N = 253 women and 264 men; Experiment 2: replication study, N = 318 women) with distinct samples of Indian participants, we found that being in a state of psychological disempowerment (vs. empowerment) increased Indian women’s preference for stronger and riskier skin lightening products but not for milder products. Indian men’s interest in both types of products was unaffected by the same psychological disempowerment prime. Based on these findings, we recommend increased consideration among teaching faculty, research scholars, and clinicians on how feeling disempowered can lead women of color to take risks to lighten their skin as well as other issues of intersectionality and with respect to colorism. We also encourage the adoption of policies aimed at empowering women of color and minimizing access to harmful skin lightening products.

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