(Critical) Multicultural Cues Promote Identity Safety and Desire to Learn About STEM Inequity Among Students of Color

ABSTRACT Via an online experiment, we tested the effects of three diversity cues embedded in course syllabi among undergraduates of color in STEM ( n = 168). Color‐evasive cues minimized the importance of group differences, multicultural cues highlighted their importance, and critical multicultural cues revealed how systemic forces shaped these differences. Compared to color‐evasive cues, multicultural and critical multicultural cues increased identity safety by reducing bias expectations, and increased participants’ desire to learn about STEM inequity by increasing perceptions of instructor allyship. These links were especially true for those higher in stigma consciousness. Open‐ended responses illuminated key nuances: critical multicultural cues elicited identity safety and perceptions of allyship, but also concerns about its relevance to a STEM course; multicultural cues elicited mixed reactions, including concerns about sincerity; and color‐evasive cues surfaced the most threat and superficial appreciation. Together, the current study clarifies for whom and under what conditions diversity cues are most effective.