The Influence of Perceptual Features, Ethnic Labels, and Sociocultural Information on the Development of Ethnic/Racial Bias in Young Children

Abstract

Taiwanese children from 3 to 11 years of age were asked to identify their racial group membership and select potential playmates from arrays of racially diverse photos. Children at all age levels displayed some Asian bias; however, this bias was lowest in 10- to 11- year-olds. Same-race bias was also reduced in 8 to 9 year olds by labeling the Asian photos as an ethnicity other than Chinese. This labeling effect emerged and was strongest at the same point in development that children displayed a significant increase in their ability to identify their own group membership. Perception of racial features exerted more influence over children’s choices than recognition of ethnic labels. However, both of these features triggered some bias via knowledge of own-group membership, which appears to be particularly important to children early in development when it is first learned. Preference for familiar physical features and sociocultural information concerning group desirability also influenced children’s biases.