Mexican-origin 5-year-old children’s ethnic-racial identity centrality and attitudes predicting social functioning.

Abstract

Objective: Early childhood is an important developmental period to focus on the outcomes associated with ethnic-racial identity (ERI) given that children notice racial differences, are processing information about ethnicity and race, and have race-related experiences. The present study tested whether three components of ERI (i.e., positive attitudes, negative attitudes, and centrality) predicted children's social functioning (i.e., interactive, disruptive, and disconnected play with peers; externalizing behaviors; and observed frustration and cooperation with an adult). Child sex was also tested as a moderator. Method: The present study included 182 5-year-old Mexican-origin children (57% male) of mothers who entered parenthood during adolescence (M = 21.95, SD = 1.00). Results: Children's positive ethnic-racial attitudes were associated with greater social functioning (i.e., greater interactive play and less externalizing behaviors) among boys and girls, and less frustration among boys. Negative ethnic-racial attitudes predicted maladaptive social functioning (i.e., greater disruptive play) among boys and girls and more disconnected play among girls. Contrary to expectations, ethnic-racial centrality predicted boys' and girls' maladaptive social functioning (i.e., greater disruptive and disconnected play). Conclusions: Findings highlight the importance of fostering children's positive ethnic-racial attitudes and helping them discuss and cope with negative ethnic-racial attitudes to promote more adaptive social functioning. Public Significance StatementIt has been suggested that children develop an ethnic-racial identity in childhood that impacts their social functioning. This idea was supported by the results of this study, which showed that young children's positive attitudes about their ethnicity/race tended to be linked with more positive social development.

Kindergarten Children’s Attitudes Towards Homosexuality: The Influence of Puppet Theatre on the Topic of Diversity in a Group of Kindergarten Children

“…First, as children are young, we cannot claim that they have already developed attitudes at their age. However, there are studies measuring 5 to 6-year-old kindergarten children's racial attitudes (Baron & Banaji, 2006;Williams et al, 2022). The children's responses within the puppet theatre may vary due to interindividual differences in life events and their personality and are therefore highly subjective.…”