Diversity and Beliefs 1 Running head: FORMS OF DIVERSITY AND ATTITUDE CHANGE The Impact of Racial/Ethnic Structural Diversity and Opinion Diversity on Reconsidering One’s Beliefs about College Access

Current theoretical perspectives suggest that experiences with diverse peers have a positive impact on traditional-age college students because these encounters occur during a developmental stage in which young adults are forming and questioning their identity and values. However, from an empirical standpoint, it is unclear whether experiences with diversity are more meaningful for traditional-age college students than for older adults, or whether racial/ethnic diversity is simply a proxy for a diversity of perspectives. An analysis of quantitative data from community dialogues suggests that college students ’ meaningful interactions across racial/ethnic diversity—but not opinion diversity—cause students to reconsider their beliefs. Follow-up analyses reveal that this pattern cannot be attributed to more socially desirable responses within diverse dialogues. Diversity and Beliefs 3 The issue of diversity on college campuses remains on center stage in America today. Whereas much of the debate focuses on racial/ethnic diversity, others have argued for the importance of a diversity of perspectives (Horowitz, 2004) or socioeconomi