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Cited by 59Racial and Ethnic Identity ResearchSocial and Intergroup PsychologyEmotions and Moral Behavior

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The White Racial Affect Scale (WRAS): A Measure of White Guilt, Shame, and Negation

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Grzanka, Patrick R., Frantell, Keri A., Fassinger, Ruth E.·2020·The Counseling Psychologist
DOI 10.1177/0011000019878808
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Abstract

The construct White guilt is typically motivated by the recognition of unearned and unfair racial privileges, the acknowledgement of personal racist attitudes or behavior, and/or the sense of responsibility for others’ racist attitudes or behavior. Empirical and conceptual work suggests mixed consequences of White guilt: it may correspond with antiracist attitudes and behavior, but it may also motivate defensiveness and disengagement. We addressed weaknesses in existing psychometric tools used to measure White guilt by synthesizing approaches from the literature on White racial emotions and self-conscious affect, and by attempting to distinguish between White guilt and shame. The results of Study 1 yielded a three-factor structure of White Guilt, Negation, and White Shame, and provided initial support for construct validity. In Study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis provided mixed support for a three-factor structure. In Study 3, our results suggest test-retest reliability over two weeks.

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Metadata

Authors
Grzanka, P. R., Frantell, K. A., & Fassinger, R. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
  • University of Maryland, College Park (US)
Corresponding author
Grzanka, Patrick R.
ORCID
Venue
The Counseling Psychologist
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2019-10-21
Volume
48
Issue
1
Pages
47-77
ISSN
  • 0011-0000 (ISSN-L)
  • 1552-3861
DOI
10.1177/0011000019878808
OpenAlex
W2982211704
Cited by
59
References
53
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2019: 1
FWCI
11.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
The Counseling Psychologist (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Racial and Ethnic Identity Research
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Keywords
white guilt, self-conscious emotions, racial privilege, racism, scale development, construct validity, test-retest reliability

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CoChat. (2026). Citation check: The White Racial Affect Scale (WRAS): A Measure of White Guilt, Shame, and Negation. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1177/0011000019878808
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Grzanka, P. R., Frantell, K. A., & Fassinger, R. E. (2020). The White Racial Affect Scale (WRAS): A Measure of White Guilt, Shame, and Negation. The Counseling Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019878808

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