The impact of teacher nonverbal behaviors on children's intergroup attitudes and mental health

University Of Hawaii At Manoa, Honolulu HI

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract Researchers in education have found that teachers often differ in their nonverbal behaviors toward children from different racial groups and these behaviors correlate with achievement gaps and academic stereotypes about the groups. Poor academic performance both contributes to and is caused by mental health issues like negative affect, stress, and anxiety, which puts minority children at a heightened risk for poor mental health. Early elementary school, when achievement gaps first emerge, is also the time when majority children begin to show racial bias, and when minority children are able to detect discrimination related to their membership in a particular social group. Therefore, if children are sensitive to teacher nonverbal behaviors, these behaviors could contribute to majority children?s group biases, and may negatively impact the psychological well-being of minority children. In fact, children are adept at perceiving adult nonverbal behaviors and using these behaviors to guide their own behaviors and to make judgments about others. The primary goal of this research is to examine the effect of biased nonverbal teacher behaviors on group biases for children from positively stereotyped groups, and mental health outcomes like negative affect and anxiety for children from negatively stereotyped groups. The first study tests whether group biases in teacher behaviors guide children?s attitudes about groups, and whether membership in a group targeted by negative nonverbal teacher behaviors has an effect on children?s affect and anxiety. The second study examines teacher behaviors in diverse classrooms to understand the extent to which teachers demonstrate bias in their nonverbal behaviors. The third study tests whether viewing positive teacher behaviors toward students from negatively stereotyped groups results in a reduction of children's racial stereotype endorsement, and a reduction in negative affect and anxiety for children from negatively stereotyped groups.