A Long ‐Term Effect of Perceptual Individuation Training on Reducing Implicit Racial Bias in Preschool Children

This study tracked the long‐term effect of perceptual individuation training on reducing 5‐year‐old Chinese children's (N = 95, Mage = 5.64 years) implicit pro‐Asian/anti‐Black racial bias. Initial training to individuate other‐race Black faces, followed by supplementary training occurring 1 week later, resulted in a long‐term reduction of pro‐Asian/anti‐Black bias (70 days). In contrast, training Chinese children to recognize White or Asian faces had no effect on pro‐Asian/anti‐Black bias. Theoretically, the finding that individuation training can have a long‐term effect on reducing implicit racial bias in preschoolers suggests that a developmentally early causal linkage between perceptual and social processing of faces is not a transitory phenomenon. Practically, the data point to an effective intervention method for reducing implicit racism in young children.
Source: Child Development - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Empirical Article Source Type: research