Poster #223 - Explicit and Implicit Racial Attitudes among Early Adolescents: Demographic and Social Correlates

• In Event: 1-061 - Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Given the increasing diversity of race and ethnicity in the US, it is important to promote positive relationships among different racial groups. Social psychology studies show that a person’s racial attitudes influence his/her treatment of the members of another race. Furthermore, such attitudes are influenced by a person’s affective social contact and developmental experience (Rudman, Phelan, & Heppen, 2007). Therefore, it is important to study the development of racial attitudes during the formative years. Early adolescence (ages 11 to 14) is a time when peer interactions and acceptance become highly important and when ethnic identity develops rapidly through interpersonal experiences. This study examined early adolescents’ racial attitudes and correlated factors
Participants were 127 students in grades 6-8 at a public middle-school (64.6% female, Mage=13.11, 68.5% self-identified as Caucasian, 17% Black, and 9% Hispanic) in the northeastern US. Participants complete surveys in two health class sessions in June 2018. A paper-pencil version of Single Category Implicit Attitude Test (IAT) was used (Bardin, Perrissol, Py, Fos, & Souchon, 2016). Explicit attitudes were assessed by participants reporting on (1) Feeling Thermometer towards people of a specific race (i.e., White, Black, Hispanic) with scores ranging from 0 to 100; (2) how comfortable they are with peers of a specific race (scores ranging from 1 to 5). Participants also reported on their friends, victimization experience, and interactions with peers on social media sites.
Analyses of variance indicated no significant gender or grade differences in both Implicit and Explicit Attitudes (Fs < 1.26, ps > .29). Participants reported more favorable explicit attitudes (i.e., Feeling Thermometer & Racial Peer Groups) towards peers and people of the same race as their own than towards those with a different race (Fs > 8.38, ps < .01). In contrast, the IAT scores did not show differences by participant’s own racial background (Fs < 2.05, ps > .15).
Implicit attitudes and explicit attitudes were not significantly related (rs < 0.19, ps > .09). Implicit attitudes towards Black were positively correlated with implicit attitudes towards Hispanic (r = 0.23, p <. 05). Implicit attitudes towards White were not correlated with the implicit attitudes towards the other two races (i.e., Black and Hispanic). Explicit attitudes showed positive associations across racial groups (rs > 0.28, ps < .01)
Findings on explicit racial attitudes indicated clear in-group favoritism among early adolescents. However, implicit racial attitudes did not show in-group favoritism. Data coding is still on going. Additional analyses will test the social contact theory to determine how early adolescents’ explicit and implicit racial attitudes may be correlated with social experiences with peers from different ethnic backgrounds (e.g., friendship with peers of a specific racial background, victimization by someone from a specific racial background, and interactions on social media sites). One limitation of this study is the small sample size. We should note that additional data will be collected in the upcoming Fall and Spring semesters, and we plan to include the new data in our poster presentations which will result in a larger sample size.

Authors

• Michelle Rosie, Temple University
  Presenting Author

• Jill Swirsky, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• CiAnna E. Huang, Lower Merion High School
  Non-Presenting Author

• Shaylyne Nolan, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hongling Xie, Temple University
  Non-Presenting Author