Labor statistics indicate that Black men are overrepresented in roles such as athletes and laborers. According to findings from social role theory, about what correlation should exist between the ratings of these occupations on communion/agency and the communion/agency traits ascribed to Black men?

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Social role theory suggests that the traits ascribed to a group of people (in this case, Black men) are influenced by the roles they are observed to occupy. If Black men are overrepresented in roles such as athletes and laborers, which may be perceived as requiring high levels of agency (e.g., independence, assertiveness) and possibly lower levels of communion (e.g., warmth, nurturance), then we would expect a positive correlation between the ratings of these occupations on agency and the agency traits ascribed to Black men. Thus, a high positive correlation (r = .70) indicates that the traits ascribed to Black men are closely aligned with the traits associated with their overrepresented roles.

Labor Statistics Indicate That Black Men Are Overrepresented in Roles