Racial identity is defined as the psychosocial orientation toward membership in a racial group based partly on what?

• A. Genetic ancestry alone.
• B. Attitudes and actions toward other racial groups.
• C. Socioeconomic status.
• D. Hair color.

Answer: (B)

Racial identity is a psychosocial sense of belonging to a racial group that forms from how a person experiences race in the world and how they relate to others who are part of or outside that group. The defining basis is attitudes and actions toward other racial groups because this captures the relational and social aspects of identifying with a race—how one feels about the group, how central race is to their self-concept, and how they engage with people from different races. It’s not determined by genetics alone since race is largely a social construct shaped by culture, discrimination, and lived experiences. Socioeconomic status can influence experiences but does not define membership in a racial group, and hair color is an irrelevant physical trait for racial identity. So the emphasis on attitudes and actions toward other racial groups best reflects how racial identity is formed.