Differences in Aspects of Preschoolers' Race Schema: Race Schematization, Race-Based Peer Preferences, and Memory for Racially Stereotyped Drawings.

This study applied a schema-based, social information processing model to examine the development of social cognitive aspects of preschoolers' racial stereotyping and stereotype beliefs (i.e., preschoolers' race schemas). The study examined developmental and individual differences in preschoolers' race schematization (salience of the race dimension in social information processing), same-race and other-race preferences, and memory for racially stereotyped portrayals. Subjects were 27 African American and 38 white preschoolers between 3 and 6 years of age, who participated in 2 interviews. Children's recognition memories for 12 racially stereotyped depictions were assessed. In a separate session, children indicated their peer preferences regarding a series of 28 pairs portraying competing pictures of same-sex African American and white children. Children's response latencies in the peer preference task were used as a measure of race schematization. Results indicated significant differences across several aspects of preschoolers' race schemas. Younger children, white children, and children rated high in race schematization demonstrated significantly greater same-race peer preferences than older children, African American children, and children rated low in race schematization. African American children showed significantly better memories than white children for racial schema-consistent depictions. Results support the application of schema-based social cognitive approaches to examinations of the development of children's racial stereotyping and stereotype beliefs. 0Q0 *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U.S DEPARTMENT Or EDUCATION Orfrce of Eduction& Rbi larCh and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) )(1.TeCntived roemn111:r personn 016131Girl:Cr:CW.0'ns OrqpnalIng .1 0 Minor changes Rave been mad to improve reproduction Qualify Ponta of weave or °anions stated in the document do not necessarily represent official OE RI positan or policy Race Schemas 1 Differences in aspects of preschoolers' race schema: Race schematization, race-based peer preferences, and memory for racially stereotyped drawings1 Gary D. Levy & Phyllis A. Katz University of Wyoming Institute for Research on Social Problems 1Completion of this project was facilitated by an Academic Challenge Award from the University of Toledo awarded to the first author. This support is gratefully acknowledged. Special thanks to Robert A. Haaf, Ph.D. and Peg Hull-Smith, Ph.D. at the University of Toledo, and to Shelly Collins, Kim Piper, and Melissa Wright at the University of Toledo for their data collection efforts. We are also grateful to the faculty, children, and parents of the Toledo Day, Fiddlesdx, and Learning Tree Preschools all of Toledo, OH. Presented at the biennial meetings of the Society for Research in Child Development, New Orleans, LA: March, 1993. For a more detailed and comprehensive report please send reprint requests to Gary Levy, Department of Psychology, University of Wyoming, P.O Box 3415, Room 135, Biological Sciences Bldg., Laramie, WY 82071-3415. E-mail: GLEVY@CORRAL.WYO.EDU Running Head: RACE SCHEMA SRCD 1993 draft 2 Mri VETT. "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Race Schemas 2 Differences in aspects of preschoolers' race schema: Race schematization, race-based peer preferences, and memory for racially stereotyped drawings Contemporary examinations of the development of stereotyping and stereotype beliefs in children have recently embraced social cognitive, schema-based orientations (viz., Huston, 1983; Katz, 1982; 1983). Although such schema-based models have been applied to investigations of children's gender-role development and gender-typing (e.g., gender schema models; Bern, 1981; 1984; Martin & Halverson, 1981; 1987), these frameworks are only just beginning to be employed in examination of the development of children's racial stereotyping and stereotype beliefs (e.g., Bigler & Liben, 1989; Ramsey & Myers, 1990). The present study applied a schema-based, social information processing model to examine the development of social cognitive aspects of preschoolers' racial stereotyping and stereotype beliefs (i.e., preschoolers' race schemes). Specifically, the present study investigated developmental and individual differences in preschoolers': (a) race schematization (salience of the race dimension in social information processing), (b) same-race and other-race peer preferences, and (c) memory for racially stereotyped portrayals. Relations among these aspects of preschoolers' race schemas were also examined. Sixtyfive African American (n=27) and white (n=38) preschoolers (39 boys, 26 girls) between three and six years of age (mean=54.30 months) participated in two interviews. Children's recognition memories for 12 racially stereotyped depictions (7 stereotype-consistent, 5 stereotypeinconsistent) were assessed (see Table 1). In a separate session, children indicated their peer preferences regarding a series of 28 pairs portraying competing pictures of same-sex African American and white children. Children's response latencies in the peer preference task were employed as a measure of race schematization. Results indicated numerous significant differences across several aspects of preschoolers' race schemas (see Tables 2, 3 & 4). Younger children,white children, and high race schematic children demonstrated significantly greater same-race peer preferences than older children, African American, and low race schematic children, respectively. Also, African American children showed significantly better memories than white children for racial stereotype-consistent depic-