BASIC AND APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, 79(3), 291-306 Copyright © 1997, Lawrence Eribaum Associates, Inc, "White Men Can't Jump": Evidence for the Perceptual Confirmation of Racial Stereotypes Following a Basketball Game Jeff Stone, Zachary W. Peny, and John M. Darley Department of Psychology Princeton University An experiment was conducted to demonstrate the perceptual confirmation of racial stereotypes about Black and White athletes. In a 2 x 2 design, target race (Black vs. White) and target athleticism (perceived athletic vs, unathletic) were manipulated by providing participants with a photograph of a male basketball player. Participants then listened to a college basketball game and were asked to evaluate the target's athletic abilities, individual perfonnance, and contribution to his team's performance, Multivariate analyses showed only a main effect for target race on the measures of ability and team performance. Whereas the Black targets were rated as exhibiting significantly more athletic ability and having played a better game. White targets were rated as exhibiting significantly more basketball intelligence and hustle. The results suggest that participants relied on a stereotype of Black and White athletes to guide their evaluations ofthe target's abilities and performance. The title of the popular Ron Shelton film illustrates a common stereotype about racial differences in athletics: White males do not possess the physical capabilities that Black males possess, and therefore, are not as skilled in sports (Biemat & Manis, 1994; Craighead, Privette, Vallianos & Byrkit, 1986; Edwards, 1973; Felson, 1981; Nation & LeUnea, 1983), Like many stereotypes, the beliefs under- lying the athletic superiority of Blacks in basketball may well have a factual basis: More than 75% ofthe players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and 64% of collegiate basketball players are Black (Hoose, 1989). However, the history of professional basketball makes clear the danger in predicting athletic success based solely on race: Many White men have not just played, but excelled in the Requests for reprints should be sent to Jeff Stone, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 8572L