The Nature and Consequences of Essentialist Beliefs About Race in Early Childhood

Tara M. Mandalaywala; Gabrielle Ranger-Murdock; David M. Amodio; Marjorie Rhodes

doi:10.1111/cdev.13008

The Nature and Consequences of Essentialist Beliefs About Race in Early Childhood

Tara M. Mandalaywala, Gabrielle Ranger-Murdock, David M. Amodio, Marjorie Rhodes

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

It is widely believed that race divides the world into biologically distinct kinds of people—an essentialist belief inconsistent with reality. Essentialist views of race have been described as early emerging, but this study found that young children (n = 203, M_age = 5.45) hold only the more limited belief that the physical feature of skin color is inherited and stable. Overall, children rejected the causal essentialist view that behavioral and psychological characteristics are constrained by an inherited racial essence. Although average levels of children's causal essentialist beliefs about race were low, variation in these beliefs was related to children's own group membership, exposure to diversity, as well as children's own social attitudes.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	e437-e453
Journal	Child development
Volume	90
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13008
State	Published - Jul 1 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
Education
Developmental and Educational Psychology

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10.1111/cdev.13008

Cite this

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title = "The Nature and Consequences of Essentialist Beliefs About Race in Early Childhood",

abstract = "It is widely believed that race divides the world into biologically distinct kinds of people—an essentialist belief inconsistent with reality. Essentialist views of race have been described as early emerging, but this study found that young children (n = 203, Mage = 5.45) hold only the more limited belief that the physical feature of skin color is inherited and stable. Overall, children rejected the causal essentialist view that behavioral and psychological characteristics are constrained by an inherited racial essence. Although average levels of children's causal essentialist beliefs about race were low, variation in these beliefs was related to children's own group membership, exposure to diversity, as well as children's own social attitudes.",

author = "Mandalaywala, {Tara M.} and Gabrielle Ranger-Murdock and Amodio, {David M.} and Marjorie Rhodes",

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The Nature and Consequences of Essentialist Beliefs About Race in Early Childhood

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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