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Interracial contact and racial constancy: A multi-site study of racial intergroup bias in 3-5 year old Anglo-British children

Rutland, Adam, Cameron, Lindsey, Bennett, Laura, Ferrell, Jennifer M. (2005) Interracial contact and racial constancy: A multi-site study of racial intergroup bias in 3-5 year old Anglo-British children. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26 (6). pp. 699-713. ISSN 0193-3973. (doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2005.08.005) (KAR id:26168)

Abstract

This paper examined the influence of interracial contact and racial constancy on the racial intergroup bias of young Anglo-British children. This multi-site study was conducted in areas of Great Britain that varied in terms of racial diversity. The study also investigated whether preschool children express bias on positive, but not negative, valence attributions. Anglo-British children (N = 136) between 3 and 5 years of age with different levels of interracial contact undertook a racial stereotype attribution measure and three tasks to assess racial constancy. Significantly more racial bias was shown towards the African Caribbean-British compared to the Asian-British or Oriental-British racial out-groups. As predicted, only children in racially mixed areas failed to show discrimination in favor of the white in-group on both the positive and negative trait attributions. In addition, higher racial constancy was related significantly to greater racial intergroup bias. These findings suggest that racial intergroup bias amongst 3-5 year old children may be reduced through the promotion of interracial contact, because at this age children are already beginning to develop racial constancy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). (journal abstract)

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.appdev.2005.08.005
Uncontrolled keywords: interracial contact, racial constancy, racial intergroup bias, racial diversity, trait attributions, childhood development, Childhood Development, Intergroup Dynamics, Racial and Ethnic Relations, Response Bias, Social Integration, Impression Formation, Personality Traits, Preferences
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Funders: British Broadcasting Corporation (United Kingdom) (https://ror.org/01qepzr42)
Depositing User: Lindsey Cameron
Date Deposited: 16 Dec 2010 16:37 UTC
Last Modified: 12 Jul 2022 10:40 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/26168 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Rutland, Adam.

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CReDIT Contributor Roles:

Cameron, Lindsey.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1388-1970
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