People's views about diversity of an organisation or team depends on whether or not members of their own race are included, says a study.
People from different races may view the same team or organisation and judge it differently in terms of whether or not it is diverse, the findings showed.
"Racial minority group members care whether or not members of their own race are part of a team. While the presence of other minority groups is better than no diversity at all, it is not the same as having someone of your own race present," said Christopher Bauman from University of California at Irvine in the US.
The research included three studies where participants were asked to rate the diversity of various groups of people that were presented as a team at work.
Asian Americans perceived more diversity in a group that included Whites and Asian Americans than a group that included Whites and African Americans.
African Americans rated a group with Whites and African Americans as more diverse than one with Whites and Asian Americans.
Previous research has shown that higher levels of diversity are associated with more trust, increased feelings of safety and social satisfaction, and heightened expectations that people can expect to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities as others in an organisation.
The study appeared in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.