Mothers’ perceptions of the Jewish–Arab conflict: Relations to their children's stereotypical perceptions and social adjustment

• In Event: Young people's inter-ethnic group perceptions and relations across contexts

Abstract

One of the most intractable conflicts in the world is the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, which has been going on for more than 100 years, and has resulted in considerable losses, destructions, and sufferings, endured by both societies (Nasie et al., 2016). It has been found that national conflicts such as this are likely to affect the developmental trajectories of stereotypes and prejudices in children (Teichman, 2016). Results of international studies indicate that stereotype and prejudice development are context-dependent and influenced by affect, cognitive, and personality development (Teichman, 2016).
In a different line of research, Crick and Dodge (1994) proposed a theoretical path by which the quality of early relationships influences children’s social functioning through social information processing (SIP). In their SIP model, early relationships build a database of social knowledge that guides the social response. Higher social capacities are typically associated with prosocial behavior, whereas disruptive social functioning is associated with difficulties in understanding and thinking about others’ perspectives (Venta et al., 2017).
These two lines of research are theoretically connected. Children are exposed to mothers’ views and accept them uncritically at an early childhood age. Typically, exposure is direct (e.g., through telling stories, explaining events), and mothers position themselves as the authority on ethnic perceptions, which gives them control over the opportunity, scope, mode, and content of their children’s exposure to ethnic issues (Priest et al., 2014). The ability to understand and think about others’ mental states in social situations plays an imperative role in the development of their social relationships (Ziv et al., 2013).
The current study aims to bridge these two lines of research by studying the associations between mothers' and children's stereotypical perceptions of the other ethnic/national group (Jewish/Arabs) and their social information processing patterns. We also examined their associations with children's social adaptation in kindergarten.
121 Arab and Jewish kindergarten children and their mothers participated. In order to obtain data about stereotypical perceptions, mothers were asked to read to their child a book with 16 pictures presenting Jewish and Arab characters performing various actions (Segall et al., 2015). In addition, mothers completed questionnaires about their perceptions and relations with the other national group (Arabs/ Jewish), their general SIP patterns, and various sociodemographic characteristics of the family. These data were collected during a home visit. Later, in a quiet location in their kindergarten classrooms, children were interviewed to assess their social information processing patterns. Finally, teachers completed questionnaires about the children's social adjustment.
Our finding showed a significant association between children’s use of stereotypical conversation, children’s aggressive response evaluation and decision (RED), children's competent response evaluation and decision (RED), and maladjusted social behavior (Figure 1).
Findings will be discussed in terms of their contribution to social prejudice and social information processing research. Practical and clinical implications will also be discussed
The current study expanded on the literature indicating that social contact and exposure to the outgroup protect children against stereotypes and prejudice by demonstrating the same negative relationship between social contact and stereotypes for mothers.

Group Authors

Yazeed Ghanayim & Yair Ziv

Authors

• Yazeed Mohammad Ghanayim, University of Haifa
  Presenting Author

• Yair Ziv, University of Haifa