Cultural Intelligence and Microaggressions

Microaggressions are subtle but common comments or actions that target people of color in ways that are belittling and hurtful. They might involve stereotypical assumptions, backhanded compliments, or dismissive remarks. While these behaviors may seem small to some, they can cause real damage—leading to stress, depression, and strained relationships between people. They also help maintain larger systems of racial inequality, even if no one explicitly intends to cause harm.

Why Do People Commit Microaggressions?

Our lab just published a new study aimed to understand why these subtle acts of racism happen. One idea is that they arise from deeply held prejudices and hostility, which we already know is part of the problem. Another idea is that at least some microaggressions stem from a lack of cultural knowledge rather than implicit biases or outright racism. In other words, people might commit racial microaggressions simply because they don't know any better or they aren’t familiar or comfortable with cultures different from their own.

Cultural knowledge is not enough.

Source: DALL-E / Open AI / Customized by Author

To test these theories, we surveyed 235 White adults across Canada. We wanted to find out if those who knew less about other cultures—e.g., those with lower “cultural intelligence” (CQ)—were more likely to commit anti-Black microaggressions. CQ can be thought of as one’s IQ for cross-cultural interactions, so a higher CQ should translate to better interactions with diverse others. We also looked at factors like aggressive tendencies and negativity to understand the bigger picture.

Our results showed that several aspects of cultural intelligence mattered. People who had higher “metacognitive” and “motivational” CQ—meaning they paid attention to cultural differences and cared about interacting respectfully—committed fewer racial microaggressions. But those who felt confident in their existing cultural knowledge (“cognitive” CQ) were actually more likely to commit these subtle acts of discrimination.

Overconfident and Underinformed

Why would feeling confident in one’s cultural knowledge lead to more microaggressions? The answer may be that overconfidence creates a blind spot. When people think they already “know” other cultures, they may stop listening, learning, or questioning their assumptions. In doing so, they miss cultural nuances and may unintentionally say or do something hurtful.

Well-Meaning Experts Still Get It Wrong

For example, imagine a White therapist who believes they are well-informed about different cultural groups because they have read several books and articles on African American history and culture. During a therapy session with a new Black client, the therapist attempts to “connect” by making overly confident assumptions and says, “I know that, in your culture, family is everything, so you must feel very supported by your relatives, right?”

Although intended as a gesture of understanding, this comment generalizes the client’s experience, making assumptions based on stereotypes rather than seeing them as an individual with a unique family situation. Suppose that, for some reason, the client is painfully alienated from their family, or perhaps they don’t have any family at all. Instead of feeling understood, the client may feel stereotyped and misunderstood, harming their trust and comfort in the therapeutic relationship.

Cultural Humility Matters

This is where the idea of cultural humility comes in—recognizing that we always have more to learn about others. By staying curious, open-minded, and respectful, we can reduce the likelihood of harming others with our words and actions.

Source: DALL-E / Open AI / Customized by Author

These findings suggest that simply knowing facts about other cultural groups isn’t enough. We must also show empathy, respect, and willingness to learn.

For workplaces, schools, and communities, this means multicultural training efforts shouldn’t just teach facts. Instead, we need to focus on humility and continuous learning so that we can all become better listeners and kinder neighbors.

Therapists who want to do effective work with people of color should adopt an anti-racism approach to care. Please visit our campaign, STOP Bad Therapy, to learn more about myths about racial microaggressions.