ABSTRACT
Research on ethnoracial phenotypicality bias examines the influence that variations in the distinct physical characteristics among members of racial/ethnic groups have on perceptions of and behaviors toward these individuals. Ethnoracial phenotypicality can be understood as variation within race/ethnicity in terms of phenotypic appearance. The few existing studies on media and ethnoracial phenotypicality bias have exclusively focused on Blacks. Yet, the manner in which Latinos are depicted in the media suggests that comparable phenotype-driven outcomes may be associated with exposure to Latino images. Cultivation theory posits that long-term exposure to television’s often stereotypic set of messages and standards can shift a viewer’s worldview toward the television version of reality. To determine the extent to which the phenotypic characteristics associated with Latinos on primetime television vary based on the features of the character, coding was conducted at the character level. Examinations of phenotypic representation across racial/ethnic groups suggest that Latinos are not the only racial/ethnic group that lacks phenotypic diversity on television.
