Should they be together? Racial boundary work in perceptions of interracial intimacy

Third-party evaluations shape which romantic unions are socially encouraged, reflecting broader norms about relationship legitimacy. This study asks: How do Americans evaluate same- and mixed-race couples, and what do these judgments reveal about racial boundaries? Using a novel dyadic conjoint experiment, Black, East Asian, and White respondents evaluated fictional dating app couples, allowing us to causally isolate the effect of race on third-party perceptions. Results reveal systematic distinctions in perceived racial boundaries. Overall, there was a strong preference for same-race couples: respondents rated them more favourably, anticipated greater social approval, and perceived them as more compatible and enduring, with this pattern most pronounced among White respondents. Evaluations of mixed-race couples further highlight boundary delineations: White and East Asian respondents favoured East Asian/White pairings and evaluated Black/non-Black pairings less positively. In contrast, Black respondents showed no systematic differences based on racial configuration. These findings advance research on racial homophily and third-party evaluations, demonstrating how imagined romantic futures are shaped by racial hierarchies – often to the exclusion of Black individuals.