The Development of Racial Attitudes in Young Black and White Children

Abstract

Abstract Racial attitude development was assessed in four age groups of black and white children (37 four-year-olds, 38 five-year-olds, 40 six-year-olds, and 41 seven-year-olds) through the use of a structured, open-ended interview employing black and white dolls as stimuli. The majority of statements made at each age level by both the black and the white children were meaningful, as opposed to irrelevant, and the black and white children at all age levels described both the black and white stimuli with responses that were preponderantly concrete, neutral in evaluative connotation, and nonpejorative. The method and findings of this study were contrasted with the results of racial attitude studies using forced-choice methods, and the discrepant depictions of racial attitude structure in young children found by these two methods were discussed.