Cross race friendships offer less stress

Though affirmative action and other race integrative programs have received controversial opinions, a University of California at Berkeley study suggests that students making friends with someone from a different race or ethnicity can reduce anxiety in academic settings among both whites and minorities. The researchers began the study by pairing up students prone to racial biases, both white and Latino, and through an accelerated friendship process found that members of both groups benefited from getting to know one another. This "accelerated friendship" entailed three weekly one-hour meetings in a casual lab setting. This method was developed by psychologist Arthur Aron, of Stony Brook University in New York. During these sessions participants asked one another questions specifically designed to foster openness and friendship. And during the last session of the week participants played a game like "Jenga" to ease tensions.

How the researchers measure success rates is by measuring the participants' levels of Cortisol, a hormone triggered by stress and anxiety. After measuring levels throughout the three-time sessions students felt more comfortable and relaxed around peers of another ethnicity or race. Now the researchers want to see if these friendships last, and hopefully they will.

More info: http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2008/10/30_crossrace.shtml.