Preempting the Development of Racial Bias: Parental Intervention Approaches

• In Event: Reducing Racial Prejudice and Stereotypes in Childhood: New Evidence for Debiasing Programs

Abstract

Racism remains a major problem in the United States—and globally—with a range of widespread, well-documented, and harmful consequences for people of color (Roberts & Rizzo, 2020). In order to address racism and racial injustice, we need to understand the psychological roots of racism, including how and why racial biases develop and the developmental mechanisms that can be leveraged to preempt this development (Ruck et al., 2019; Tatum, 1997). Across three studies, we identify two developmental predictors of racial bias in early childhood and explore two approaches for intervening on those developmental predictors.

The goal of Study 1 was to identify the psychological factors that predict the emergence of racial bias in early childhood. Based on our review of the literature, we identified two factors that we expected to developmentally predict children’s racial biases: children’s normative beliefs about interracial friendships (Killen et al., 2002) and children’s explanatory beliefs regarding racial inequalities (Mandalaywala & Rhodes, 2019). To test these hypotheses, we conducted a 6-month (3 wave) longitudinal study with preschool children (N = 116; 3-4 years; 56 White, 19 Asian, 8 Latinx, 6 Black, 6 bi- or multiracial, 2 Middle-Eastern, and 1 Native American; 59 female, 57 male). During each wave, we assessed children’s racial biases (Interracial Attitudes, Ambiguous Attributions, Playmate Preferences), beliefs about social norms (Parent, Peer), and explanatory beliefs about racial inequalities (endorsement of Structural and Essentialist Explanations for racial inequalities) (see Figure 1).

Pro-White racial biases increased over time (attitudes: p = .02; attributions: p < 0.001). Multivariate Growth Models further revealed that children who developed more exclusive beliefs about social norms were also more likely to report racial biases (attributions: p < 0.001; preferences: p < 0.001). Additionally, children who initially endorsed essentialist over structural explanations for racial inequalities subsequently developed more racial biases over time (attitudes: p = 0.015; attributions: p = 0.027; preferences: p = 0.002).

Studies 2 and 3 examine the effects of two intervention approaches using the racial bias assessments from Study 1 (adapted for online research) and a business-as-usual control group. Study 2 (ongoing) tests the effectiveness of a community-based intervention (approximately 3 months) that engages families with anti-racist curricula via children’s books and group meetings/discussions (N = 280; 140 experimental, 140 control). Preliminary results suggest meaningful changes in children’s interracial attitudes (p < 0.01) and playmate preferences (p < 0.001). Full data and analyses will be ready by April 2021.

Study 3 (ongoing) tests the effectiveness of a parent guide designed to educate parents about how children develop racial biases. Parents (N = 100; 50 experimental, 50 control) will be assessed on their knowledge of how children develop racial biases before and after receiving the guides and children’s racial attitudes will be assessed one month before and after their parent(s) receive the guide. Full data and analyses will be ready by April 2021.

These studies provide novel insights into the psychological processes that predict the emergence of racial bias in early childhood and two innovative approaches for disrupting that development.

Authors

• Michael Thomas Rizzo, New York University
  Presenting Author

• Marjorie Rhodes, New York University
  Non-Presenting Author