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Belizaire S, Powers M, Mekawi Y. How can white parents raise anti-racist children? Introducing the routes to effective anti-racist parenting (REAP) model. FAMILY PROCESS 2023. [PMID: 37962033 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
In response to highly publicized instances of overt racial injustice, there has been a recent resurgence of interest and commitment to identifying processes through which anti-racist behaviors develop among White individuals. One particularly important context in which anti-racist behaviors can develop is within families and as a result of childrearing. Theories of anti-racism typically neglect the role of families and family science research typically neglects a focus on anti-racist parenting outcomes. To further research and applied work on fostering anti-racism within White families, this paper introduces a new integrative model called routes to effective anti-racist parenting (REAP). The model draws on theories from various fields, including family science and social psychology, and uses a metaphor of nurturing a plant to explain the nuanced, multi-faceted approaches to anti-racist parenting. The model incorporates factors related to the "pot" (i.e., fundamental values and structure necessary to contain more specific anti-racist skills and behaviors), "soil" (i.e., characteristics that define anti-racist commitment), "seeds" (i.e., direct transmission of anti-racism skills), and "environment" (i.e., influential external factors). Finally, we describe the intended benefits that can be reaped from this intentional approach to anti-racist parenting. The REAP model contributes to the family science literature by providing an empirically grounded theoretical model describing the roles that parents can play in children's anti-racist development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shequanna Belizaire
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Margaret Powers
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
| | - Yara Mekawi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
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2
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Setoh P, Sudo M, Quinn PC, Lee K. Does extended experience with other-race nannies predict racial bias in the preschool years? J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 235:105729. [PMID: 37364430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Most existing studies on racial bias reduction have used short-term interracial interaction interventions with fleeting effects. The current natural experiment examined whether daily interactions with other-race nannies relate to reduced racial bias in the preschool years. We capitalized on a unique child-rearing situation in Singapore whereby children are often cared for by other-race nannies since infancy. Singaporean Chinese 3- to 6-year-olds (N = 100) completed explicit and implicit racial bias measures assessing their preferential bias favoring own-race adults over adults of their nannies' race. Differential findings were obtained for children's explicit and implicit racial bias. Extensiveness, but not mere presence, of other-race nanny experience was associated with lower levels of explicit racial bias in children. In contrast, neither presence nor extensiveness of other-race nanny experience was associated with children's implicit racial bias. Together, these findings suggest that long-term and extensive contact with an other-race caregiver could have subtle mitigating effects on children's explicit, but not implicit, racial bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Setoh
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
| | - Mioko Sudo
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore
| | - Paul C Quinn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Kang Lee
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1V6, Canada
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3
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Skinner-Dorkenoo AL, George M, Wages JE, Sánchez S, Perry SP. A systemic approach to the psychology of racial bias within individuals and society. NATURE REVIEWS PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 2:1-15. [PMID: 37361392 PMCID: PMC10196321 DOI: 10.1038/s44159-023-00190-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Historically, the field of psychology has focused on racial biases at an individual level, considering the effects of various stimuli on individual racial attitudes and biases. This approach has provided valuable information, but not enough focus has been placed on the systemic nature of racial biases. In this Review, we examine the bidirectional relation between individual-level racial biases and broader societal systems through a systemic lens. We argue that systemic factors operating across levels - from the interpersonal to the cultural - contribute to the production and reinforcement of racial biases in children and adults. We consider the effects of five systemic factors on racial biases in the USA: power and privilege disparities, cultural narratives and values, segregated communities, shared stereotypes and nonverbal messages. We discuss evidence that these factors shape individual-level racial biases, and that individual-level biases shape systems and institutions to reproduce systemic racial biases and inequalities. We conclude with suggestions for interventions that could limit the effects of these influences and discuss future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meghan George
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
| | - James E. Wages
- Department of Psychology and Counseling, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR USA
| | - Sirenia Sánchez
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
| | - Sylvia P. Perry
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL USA
- Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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4
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Aquino YSJ, Carter SM, Houssami N, Braunack-Mayer A, Win KT, Degeling C, Wang L, Rogers WA. Practical, epistemic and normative implications of algorithmic bias in healthcare artificial intelligence: a qualitative study of multidisciplinary expert perspectives. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2023:jme-2022-108850. [PMID: 36823101 DOI: 10.1136/jme-2022-108850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a growing concern about artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare that can disadvantage already under-represented and marginalised groups (eg, based on gender or race). OBJECTIVES Our objectives are to canvas the range of strategies stakeholders endorse in attempting to mitigate algorithmic bias, and to consider the ethical question of responsibility for algorithmic bias. METHODOLOGY The study involves in-depth, semistructured interviews with healthcare workers, screening programme managers, consumer health representatives, regulators, data scientists and developers. RESULTS Findings reveal considerable divergent views on three key issues. First, views on whether bias is a problem in healthcare AI varied, with most participants agreeing bias is a problem (which we call the bias-critical view), a small number believing the opposite (the bias-denial view), and some arguing that the benefits of AI outweigh any harms or wrongs arising from the bias problem (the bias-apologist view). Second, there was a disagreement on the strategies to mitigate bias, and who is responsible for such strategies. Finally, there were divergent views on whether to include or exclude sociocultural identifiers (eg, race, ethnicity or gender-diverse identities) in the development of AI as a way to mitigate bias. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Based on the views of participants, we set out responses that stakeholders might pursue, including greater interdisciplinary collaboration, tailored stakeholder engagement activities, empirical studies to understand algorithmic bias and strategies to modify dominant approaches in AI development such as the use of participatory methods, and increased diversity and inclusion in research teams and research participant recruitment and selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Saint James Aquino
- Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stacy M Carter
- Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nehmat Houssami
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Daffodil Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Annette Braunack-Mayer
- Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Khin Than Win
- Centre for Persuasive Technology and Society, Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chris Degeling
- Australian Centre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lei Wang
- Centre for Artificial Intelligence, School of Computing and Information Technology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Wendy A Rogers
- Department of Philosophy and School of Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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5
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Mari MA. How cues to social categorization impact children's inferences about social categories. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 229:103707. [PMID: 35985155 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Social categorization involves two crucial processes: First, children seek properties on which they can categorize individuals, i.e., they learn to form social categories; then children make inferences based on social category membership and might develop affective responses toward social categories. Over the last decade, a growing number of research in developmental psychology started to use novel social categories to investigate how children learn and reason about social categories. To date, three types of cues have been put forward as means to form social categories, namely linguistic, visual, and behavioral cues. Based on social category membership, children draw inferences about the shared properties of social category members and about how social category members ought to behave and interact with each other. With additional input, children might apply essentialist beliefs to social categories and develop affective responses toward social categories. This article aims to provide key insights on the development of stereotypes and intergroup biases by reviewing recent works that investigated how children learn to form novel social categories and the kind of inferences they make about these novel social categories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali A Mari
- Cognitive Science Center, Rue de la Pierre-à-Mazel 7, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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6
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Zhao L, Li Y, Qin W, Amemiya J, Fang F, Compton BJ, Heyman GD. Overheard evaluative comments: Implications for beliefs about effort and ability. Child Dev 2022; 93:1889-1902. [PMID: 35938557 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This research examined the effects of overhearing an adult praise an unseen child for not needing to work hard on an academic task. Five-year-old Han Chinese children (total N = 270 across three studies; 135 boys, collected 2020-2021) who heard this low effort praise tended to devalue effort relative to a baseline condition in which the overheard conversation lacked evaluative content. In Study 3, low effort praise increased children's endorsement of essentialist beliefs about ability and their interest in becoming the kind of person who does not need to work hard to succeed. The findings show that overhearing evaluative comments about other people, a pervasive feature of daily life, can have a systematic effect on young children's beliefs about achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Yingying Li
- Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wen Qin
- Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Jamie Amemiya
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Fang Fang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Brian J Compton
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Gail D Heyman
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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7
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Van Eyghen H. Cognitive Bias: Phylogenesis or Ontogenesis? Front Psychol 2022; 13:892829. [PMID: 35967732 PMCID: PMC9364952 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.892829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hans Van Eyghen
- Faculty of Religion and Theology, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Tilburg School of Catholic Theology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Hans Van Eyghen
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8
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St. Pierre T, White KS, Johnson EK. Experimenter identity: An invisible, lurking variable in developmental research. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas St. Pierre
- Department of Psychology University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga Ontario Canada
| | | | - Elizabeth K. Johnson
- Department of Psychology University of Toronto Mississauga Mississauga Ontario Canada
- Department of Psychology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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9
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Kasran S, Hughes S, De Houwer J. Learning via instructions about observations: exploring similarities and differences with learning via actual observations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220059. [PMID: 35360350 PMCID: PMC8965423 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Our behaviour toward stimuli can be influenced by observing how another person (a model) interacts with those stimuli. We investigated whether mere instructions about a model's interactions with stimuli (i.e. instructions about observations) are sufficient to alter evaluative and fear responses and whether these changes are similar in magnitude to those resulting from actually observing the interactions. In Experiments 1 (n = 268) and 2 (n = 260), participants either observed or read about a model reacting positively or negatively to stimuli. Evaluations of those stimuli were then assessed via ratings and a personalized implicit association test. In Experiments 3 (n = 60) and 4 (n = 190), we assessed participants' fear toward stimuli after observing or reading about a model displaying distress in the presence of those stimuli. While the results consistently indicated that instructions about observations induced behavioural changes, they were mixed with regard to whether instructions were as powerful in changing behaviour as observations. We discuss whether learning via observations and via instructions may be mediated by similar or different processes, how they might differ in their suitability for conveying certain types of information, and how their relative effectiveness may depend on the information to be transmitted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kasran
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Sean Hughes
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
| | - Jan De Houwer
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium
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10
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Kasran S, Hughes S, De Houwer J. EXPRESS: Observational evaluative conditioning is sensitive to relational information. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2022; 75:2043-2063. [PMID: 35102785 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221080471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Social learning represents an important avenue via which evaluations can be formed or changed. Rather than learn slowly through trial and error, we can instead observe how another person (a "model") interacts with stimuli and quickly adjust our own behaviour. We report five studies (n = 912) that focused on one subtype of social learning, observational evaluative conditioning (OEC), and how it is moderated by relational information (i.e., information indicating how a stimulus and a model's reactions are related). Participants observed a model reacting positively to one stimulus and negatively to another, and were either told that these reactions were genuine, faked, or opposite to the model's actual feelings. Stimulus evaluations were then indexed using ratings and a personalised Implicit Association Test (pIAT). When the model's reactions were said to be genuine, OEC effects emerged in the expected direction. When the model's reactions were said to be faked, the magnitude of self-reported, but not pIAT, effects was reduced. Finally, stating that the model's reactions were opposite to his actual feelings eliminated or reversed self-reported effects and eliminated pIAT effects. We consider how these findings relate to previous work as well as mental-process theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kasran
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium 26656
| | - Sean Hughes
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Jan De Houwer
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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11
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Perry SP, Skinner-Dorkenoo AL, Abaied JL, Waters SF. Applying the Evidence We Have: Support for Having Race Conversations in White U.S. Families. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 17:895-900. [PMID: 34860623 DOI: 10.1177/17456916211029950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Popular press articles have advocated for parent-child conversations about race and racism to prevent children from developing racial biases, yet empirical investigations of the impact of racial socialization in White U.S. families are scarce. In an article published in Perspectives on Psychological Science in 2020, Scott et al. warned that, given the lack of empirical evidence, parents might actually do more harm than good by talking to their children about race. In this comment, we draw upon the literature on (a) racial socialization, (b) parenting and parent-child discourse, and (c) the role of nonverbal communication in parental socialization to inform our understanding of parents' ability to engage in race-related conversations in the absence of empirical guidance. We also highlight emerging evidence of the potential benefits of these conversations (even if parents are uncomfortable). In sum, the wealth of existing literature suggests that parents can successfully navigate challenging conversations with their children-which tends to result in better outcomes for children than avoiding those conversations. Thus, although we support Scott et al.'s call for researchers to develop more empirical research, we part with the authors' assertion that researchers need to wait for more sufficient evidence before providing recommendations to White parents-we believe that the time for White families to begin talking about race and racism is now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia P Perry
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University.,Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University
| | | | - Jamie L Abaied
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont
| | - Sara F Waters
- Department of Human Development, Washington State University Vancouver
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12
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Skinner-Dorkenoo AL, Sarmal A, Andre CJ, Rogbeer KG. How Microaggressions Reinforce and Perpetuate Systemic Racism in the United States. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 16:903-925. [PMID: 34498526 DOI: 10.1177/17456916211002543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The consequences of racial microaggressions are most often discussed at an interpersonal level. In this article, we contend that microaggressions play an important role in maintaining systems of racial oppression beyond the interpersonal context. Specifically, we illustrate how microaggressions establish White superiority in the United States by othering people of color (e.g., treating people of color as if they are not true citizens) and communicating that they are inferior (e.g., environmental exclusions and attacks, treating people of color as second-class citizens). We also present evidence that microaggressions play a role in protecting and reinforcing systemic racism. By obscuring systemic racism (e.g., false color blindness, denial of individual racism) and promoting ideas that maintain existing systemic inequalities (e.g., the myth of meritocracy, reverse-racism hostility), microaggressions provide cover and support for established systems of oppression. Overall, we find considerable evidence-from both empirical studies and real-world examples-that microaggressions contribute to the maintenance of systems of racial oppression in the United States. We conclude with a discussion of how we might begin to challenge this cycle by increasing awareness of systemic racism and the microaggressions that aid in its perpetuation.
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13
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Eggleston A, McCall C, Cook R, Over H. Parents reinforce the formation of first impressions in conversation with their children. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256118. [PMID: 34388223 PMCID: PMC8362939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The tendency to form first impressions from facial appearance emerges early in development. One route through which these impressions may be learned is parent-child interaction. In Study 1, 24 parent-child dyads (children aged 5–6 years, 50% male, 83% White British) were given four computer generated faces and asked to talk about each of the characters shown. Study 2 (children aged 5–6 years, 50% male, 92% White British) followed a similar procedure using images of real faces. Across both studies, around 13% of conversation related to the perceived traits of the individuals depicted. Furthermore, parents actively reinforced their children’s face-trait mappings, agreeing with the opinions they voiced on approximately 40% of occasions across both studies. Interestingly, although parents often encouraged face-trait mappings in their children, their responses to questionnaire items suggested they typically did not approve of judging others based on their appearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Eggleston
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Cade McCall
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Cook
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Harriet Over
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
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14
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Heck IA, Kushnir T, Kinzler KD. Social sampling: Children track social choices to reason about status hierarchies. J Exp Psychol Gen 2021; 150:1673-1687. [PMID: 33523688 PMCID: PMC8325718 DOI: 10.1037/xge0001008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We tested whether preschool-aged children (N = 280) track an agents' choices of individuals from novel social groups (i.e., social choices) to infer an agent's social preferences and the social status of the groups. Across experiments, children saw a box containing 2 groups (red and blue toy cats). In Experiment 1, children were randomly assigned to Social Selection in which items were described as "friends," or to Object Selection in which items were described as "toys." Within each selection type, the agent selected 5 items from either a numerically common group (82% of box; selections appearing random) or a numerically rare group (18% of box; selections violating random sampling). After watching these selections, children were asked who the agent would play with among 3 individuals: 1 from the selected group, 1 from the unselected group, or 1 from a novel group. Only participants who viewed Social Selection of a numerically rare group predicted that the agent would select an individual from that group in the future. These participants also said an individual from the selected group was the "leader." Subsequent experiments further probed the Social Selection findings. Children's reasoning depended on the agent actively selecting the friends (Experiment 2), and children thought a member of the rare selected group was the leader, but not the "helper" (Experiment 3). These results illustrate that children track an agent's positive social choices to reason about that agent's social preferences and to infer the status (likelihood of being a leader) of novel social groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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15
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Young children learn first impressions of faces through social referencing. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14744. [PMID: 34285305 PMCID: PMC8292491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-94204-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that the tendency to form first impressions from facial appearance emerges early in development. We examined whether social referencing is one route through which these consistent first impressions are acquired. In Study 1, we show that 5- to 7-year-old children are more likely to choose a target face previously associated with positive non-verbal signals as more trustworthy than a face previously associated with negative non-verbal signals. In Study 2, we show that children generalise this learning to novel faces who resemble those who have previously been the recipients of positive non-verbal behaviour. Taken together, these data show one means through which individuals within a community could acquire consistent, and potentially inaccurate, first impressions of others faces. In doing so, they highlight a route through which cultural transmission of first impressions can occur.
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16
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Wang Z, Fong FTK, Meltzoff AN. Enhancing same-gender imitation by highlighting gender norms in Chinese pre-school children. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 39:133-152. [PMID: 33095503 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Children selectively imitate in-group over outgroup individuals under certain experimental conditions. We investigated whether this bias applies to gender in-groups in China. Three- and five-year-olds were shown how to operate novel objects by same-gender and opposite-gender models. Results indicate that the combination of verbally highlighting the gender identity of the model (e.g., 'I am a girl') and making gender norms explicit (e.g., 'girls play this way') significantly enhances high-fidelity imitation. This 'double social effect' was more robust in 5-year-olds than 3-year-olds. Our results underscore how language about gender and the norms for gender-based groups influence behavioural imitation. The pattern of findings enhances our knowledge about pre-schoolers' social learning and imitation as well as the powerful influence of language and group norms on children's voluntary actions and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidan Wang
- School of Education Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Frankie T K Fong
- Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning and Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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17
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Matsuda K, Garcia Y, Catagnus R, Brandt JA. Can Behavior Analysis Help Us Understand and Reduce Racism? A review of the Current Literature. Behav Anal Pract 2020; 13:336-347. [PMID: 32642393 PMCID: PMC7314880 DOI: 10.1007/s40617-020-00411-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite ongoing efforts to eradicate racism, it persists globally, negatively affecting education, mental health, community relations, and economic development. Every behavior analyst can, and should, contribute to the reduction of racism in some way. Unfortunately, little behavior-analytic research exists to guide us. This article proposes ways that members of our scientific community can learn about racism from a behavioral perspective, extend experimental analyses of prejudice, and intervene to reduce racism in varied settings. It describes both traditional behavior-analytic and functional-contextualist accounts of racism and summarizes the small amount of related empirical and applied research. The review suggests that combining traditional behavior-analytic methods with acceptance and commitment training techniques may attenuate racism more effectively. The article ends with a call to collaborate around this globally important issue-and to do more to reduce racism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kozue Matsuda
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 325 N. Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654 USA
| | - Yors Garcia
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 325 N. Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654 USA
| | - Robyn Catagnus
- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, 325 N. Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654 USA
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Wang Z, Meltzoff AN. Imitation in Chinese Preschool Children: Influence of Prior Self-Experience and Pedagogical Cues on the Imitation of Novel Acts in a Non-Western Culture. Front Psychol 2020; 11:662. [PMID: 32351426 PMCID: PMC7174596 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Both prior experience and pedagogical cues modulate Western children’s imitation. However, these factors have not been systematically explored together within a single study. This paper explored how these factors individually and together influence imitation using 4-year-old children born and reared in mainland China (N = 210)—a country that contains almost one-fifth of the world’s population, and in which childhood imitation is under-studied using experimental methodology. The behavior of children in this culture is of special interest to theory because traditional East Asian culture places high value on conformity and fitting in with the group. Thus, high-fidelity imitation is emphasized in the local culture. This value, practice, or norm may be recognized by children at a young age and influence their imitative performance. In this study, we crossed prior self-experience and pedagogical cues, yielding four demonstration groups in addition to a control group. This design allowed us to investigate the degree to which Chinese preschoolers’ imitation was modulated by the two experimental factors. High-fidelity imitation was significantly modulated by prior self-experience but not by pedagogical cues, as measured by the number of novel acts imitated and also the serial order of these acts. This study (i) expands our understanding of factors that modulate imitation of novel behaviors in preschoolers and (ii) contributes to efforts to broaden research beyond Western societies to enrich our theories, particularly regarding social learning and imitation. Imitation is a key mechanism in the acquisition of culturally appropriate behaviors, mannerisms, and norms but who, what, and when children imitate is malleable. This study points to both cross-cultural invariants and variations to provide a fuller picture of the scope and functions of childhood imitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhidan Wang
- School of Education Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
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Mimicking Others’ Nonverbal Signals is Associated with Increased Attitude Contagion. JOURNAL OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10919-019-00322-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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