Assessing Prejudice toward Negroes at Three Universities Using the Lost-Letter Technique

Abstract

The lost-letter technique was used to assess attitudes toward Negroes at Brigham Young University as compared to Arizona State University and the University of Cincinnati. 200 letters were “lost” at each school, half addressed to the “Medical Research Association,” half to the “Negro Equal Rights Movement.” Findings showed that B. Y. U. students acted most responsibly (highest return rate), but such behavior was significantly attenuated by prejudice (fewer Negro than Medical returns). A. S. U. students, contrastingly, were least responsible but were relatively unaffected by prejudice. Cincinnati students were similar to B. Y. U. students in prejudice, but more like Arizona students on level of responsibility. Difficulties in interpretation are partly based on the inadequacies of the lost-letter technique used as a non-reactive measure.