Doctoral Dissertation Research: Research on Children's Racial Attitudes: The Development of a Racial Attitudes Index

University Of Oregon Eugene, Eugene OR

Investigators

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation research project will develop a racial attitudes measure designed for five-to-nine year-olds and will assess attitudes toward Black and White racial groups. The psychometric properties of the existing racial attitude measures for children in this age group are problematic, which has served to limit the interdisciplinary understanding of racial prejudice. One fundamental limitation of existing racial attitude measures is that all employ a two-option, forced-choice response format to measure attitudes. Forced-choice formats confound conceptually distinct phenomena, such as ingroup preference and outgroup disparagement. To disentangle this confound, the project will employ a multi-item response format. The primary objectives of this project are: (1) to establish the reliability and validity the racial attitudes instrument and (2) to assess the profiles of young children's attitudes toward Black and White racial groups. Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing (ACASI) will be the modality through which the instrument is delivered. ACASI is an innovative method that enhances data quality and data collection procedures. The racial attitudes index will employ a picture-story approach to assess children's racial attitudes. The instrument will display a set of 28 photographic images of Black and White children. The photographic images will represent children in racially mixed pairs as a voice over reads mini stories about each image. A total of 360 subjects will participate in formative and evaluative activities. The results of this project will be used to construct another ACASI measure called the Interracial and Ethnic Attitudes Index (IREAX). The IREAX will be designed for five-to-nine-year-olds and will use photographic images of targets from several racial and ethnic groups (e.g., Asian, Black, Latino, Native American, and White). To date, limited research has examined attitudes across and toward multiple racial and ethnic groups. The concentrated focus on attitudes toward Black and White racial groups limits the understanding of attitudes toward other racial and ethnic groups. The data from the RAI and IREAX should advance the understanding of the contours of racial bias. Childhood is the time in which racial attitudes are most malleable. Therefore, it is important to understand the nature of children's attitudes for the development of educational and policy interventions. The aims of this study should assist in efforts to ameliorate societal tensions surrounding race and ethnicity. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.