Learning social attitudes: children's sensitivity to the nonverbal behaviors of adult models during interracial interactions

Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
Luigi CastelliDrew Nesdale

Abstract

White children show marked ingroup race preferences and a relative devaluation of Black people. The origin of these early interracial attitudes is to a large extent still unclear. The studies here test the possibility that preschool-aged children are particularly sensitive to the nonverbal behaviors performed by White adults during interracial interactions. In Study 1, children were shown a video displaying an interaction between a White and a Black adult. Across conditions, the White adult's verbal behaviors were either friendly or neutral, whereas his nonverbal behaviors showed either easiness (e.g., closeness, high eye contact) or uneasiness (e.g., distance, avoidance of eye contact). Results revealed that participants shaped their attitudes toward the Black target accordingly, independently from the White adults' verbal behaviors. Study 2 replicated the basic findings and demonstrated that the observed effects generalized to other Black targets. Results are discussed in relation to current approaches to understanding the formation of racial attitudes among children.

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Citations

Aug 14, 2012·The British Journal of Developmental Psychology·Kevin DurkinAmanda McLean
May 20, 2011·The British Journal of Developmental Psychology·Beth Kurtz-CostesC Ryan Kinlaw
Dec 1, 2011·Social Issues and Policy Review·Max Weisbuch, Kristin Pauker
May 20, 2014·The Journal of Social Issues·Lauren K Huckstadt, Kristin Shutts
Sep 13, 2014·Developmental Science·Gili SegallGil Diesendruck
Nov 2, 2011·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Sonia K Kang, Michael Inzlicht
Jun 29, 2018·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Sean HughesJan De Houwer
Aug 20, 2019·Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin·Allison L Skinner, Sylvia Perry
Aug 11, 2020·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Katharine E ScottPatricia G Devine
Feb 10, 2017·Psychological Science·Allison L SkinnerKristina R Olson
Nov 18, 2018·Journal of Cognition and Development : Official Journal of the Cognitive Development Society·Elizabeth Brey, Kristin Shutts
Jan 5, 2020·Child Development·Jellie Sierksma, Kristin Shutts
Sep 3, 2019·Journal of Experimental Child Psychology·Elizabeth Brey, Kristin Pauker
Dec 4, 2021·Perspectives on Psychological Science : a Journal of the Association for Psychological Science·Sylvia P PerrySara F Waters

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