Children’s Beliefs about Social-Class and Mobility: Implications for Socioemotional Development, Stereotype Formation, and Academic Motivation

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

A wealth of research has shown that children are aware of economic inequalities in their surrounding environments. With inequality at an all-time high in the United States and many other developed nations, concern is growing about the potential consequences for children’s psychological development. This symposium examines on how children in middle and late childhood perceive and reason about social class and social mobility, and the implications of these perceptions for the development of important psychological characteristics and beliefs. Specifically, our first talk demonstrates both that children’s perceptions of their own social class is uniquely positively associated with their socioemotional development (i.e., their self-regulation, social competence, and emotional adjustment), and that an active understanding of factors that contribute to upward social mobility may first emerge in middle childhood. Next, our second talk not only reaffirms that an understanding of mobility is present in middle childhood, but demonstrates the presence of race-class stereotypes at this age. Specifically, children’s beliefs about the attainability of mobility for a target were moderated by the target’s race. Finally, our third talk demonstrates that while an understanding of mobility may first emerge in middle childhood, it may not be until late childhood that children’s mobility beliefs begin to predict psychological factors with important long-term implications—specifically, their academic motivation. The symposium will conclude with a discussant—an expert on how children perceive and reason about social class and social mobility, and the psychological implications of these cognitions.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Alexander S. Browman, College of the Holy Cross

Discussant

• Rashmita S. Mistry, University of California - Los Angeles

Individual Presentations

• Inequalities in Objective, Subjective, and Future Social Status: Implications for Immigrant Children’s Socioemotional Development - Presenting Author: Stephen H Chen, Wellesley College

• The Impact of Social Class Representation on Children’s Race-Class Associations and Perceptions of Socioeconomic Mobility - Presenting Author: Lauren Philbrook, Colgate University; Non-Presenting Author: Ryan Lei, Haverford College; Non-Presenting Author: William Cipolli, Colgate University; Non-Presenting Author: Rachel Spitzer, Haverford College; Non-Presenting Author: Jazmin L. Brown-Iannuzzi, University of Virginia; Non-Presenting Author: Erin Cooley, Colgate College

• Socioeconomic Mobility Beliefs Predict the Perceived Value of Academics in Late (but not Middle) Childhood - Presenting Author: Alexander S. Browman, College of the Holy Cross; Non-Presenting Author: David B. Miele, Boston College; Non-Presenting Author: Sidney May, Boston College