Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Graham, Steven

Area of Concentration

Psychology, Health Culture and Societies

Abstract

Racial bias and discrimination established the healthcare system. Although the system exists to help all who are sick, there are many instances in which people are treated unfairly. The consequences of bias in healthcare are not merely theoretical—they are measurable, persistent, and, in many cases, life-threatening. This study investigates perceptions of fairness, experiences during treatment, and attitudes toward racial bias in healthcare among adults in the United States. 250 participants were recruited through the online research platform Prolific who completed an anonymous Qualtrics survey addressing these biases. Chi-square tests of independence were conducted to examine associations between demographic variables and provider characteristics as predictors of reported unfair treatment. This study aimed to contribute to the growing literature on healthcare disparities by identifying factors associated with perceived bias in medical encounters. Understanding these patterns may support efforts to inform future interventions, reduce inequities, improve patient-provider communication, and possibly renew trust in the healthcare system.

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

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