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RESULTS

BACKGROUND

Biased Expectations of Black Children: Examining U.S. Adults’ Lay Beliefs About Child Development Across Racial Groups

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CONCLUSION

  • Replicating previous data1, Ps estimated race-related capacities emerge significantly later in development than either social or general capacities
  • However, Ps expected the development of race-related capacities to emerge 9 months earlier for Black children compared to either White children or race unspecified children (ps ≤ .02)
  • Child race did not significantly affect the age at which Ps suggested it was appropriate to talk to children about race (p = .74)
  • Overall, lay beliefs about children’s race-related development was the best predictor of Ps’ willingness to talk to children about race (β = .36, p ≤ .001), but this effect was strongest for Black children and children generally (not White children)
  • Manipulation: randomly assigned to respond to questions about either Black children, White children, or children with no race specified.
  • DV1: Age of Talking to Children about Race: “Indicate the youngest age  (in months) at which adults should talk with [Black, White, unspecified] children about race" (1 item)
  • DV2: Lay Beliefs about Child Development (3 scales): “Indicate the age (in months) at which you believe that [Black, White, unspecified] children first develop particular behavior traits, and abilities related to: (a) race development (α =.828, 4 items), social development (α =.628, 4 items), and general development (α =.519, 4 items)

Age in Months Slider Scale Training

Child Race Manipulation

DV1: Age of Talking to Children about Race

DV2: Lay Beliefs about Child Development

Individual Differences (e.g., bias)

Demographics (e.g., race, gender, parent status)

  • U.S. adults estimate that children develop the capacity to engage with race on average 4 years later than the scientific evidence suggests, which in turn delays talking to children about race1 
  • Yet, a child’s race can shape adults’ judgments of them2
  • Research Question: Does a child’s race (as either Black, White, or unspecified) affect…

(a) when U.S. adults believe children develop capacities to process race, and

(b) when adults believe they should talk to children about race?

  • 515 U.S. adults (Race) 357 White, 42 Black, 31 bi-racial/multi-racial, 28 did not specify, 26 Latinx, 20 East Asian, 6 South Asian, 4 South East Asian

Effects of target child race

Fixn(4,1024)=5.73, p ≤ .001, 𝜂2p = .02

1 Sullivan, Wilton, & Apfelbaum, 2020; 2 Goff et al., 2014. This project was supported by Skidmore College Student Opportunity Funds.

METHODS

Amelia Y. Murphy, Aliza S. Nazir, Leigh S. Wilton Ph.D. & Jessica Sullivan Ph.D.

Skidmore College

  • We found that Ps estimate Black children’s race-related development (but not other forms of development) to begin about 9 months earlier than it does for White children or race unspecified children
  • These data identify a unique mechanism by which the undue burden of addressing--and the disadvantage of speaking out against--racial bias may be placed on members of racially marginalized groups
  • These data also have implications for interventions aiming to increase adult-child conversations about race