INTERVIEW: Frances Aboud Flashcards
What does Dr. Frances Aboud study?
storybooks to reduce prejudice in children
What research questions guide her research?
Prejudice / attitudes adults had
Old assumption: prejudice increases from childhood to adulthood
- Research with kids don’t follow that at all
prejudice started low, rapidly increased at 5-6, then decreased around 8
Why is it important for those interested in prejudice among adults to also understand prejudice among kids?
Can realize:
- Where they came from initially
- Can use early interventions to effect adults (cross race childhood friend = less biased)
What is a reconciliation skill when it comes to kids?
Egocentrism = children can’t understand other ppls POV’s easily
Two steps:
- get out of ego centrism (understand other’s have diff perspectives and attitudes)
- Understanding other ppl have diff povs and two people can both be right (reconciliation )
- Maybe change their attitudes
Do stories about anti-bias change what kids see as norms?
Norms let you carry around multiple attitudes at one time
Ex. saw white person being prejudiced in book
- saw this as a norm: all white ppl don’t like black ppl
Is there any other research she sees as particularly effective?
Kids have inconsistent behaviours
Will play with cross race friend (only matters if they like the same game as them)
but will say negative things about the race in general
Integrated schools: having POC friend is best way of reducing prejudice
Is there something that has changed her mind about kids?
Assumed kids would be rlly curious (they actually weren’t selecting diverse books)
Is there future directions she would like to see in years to come?
- Explicit and implicit
- Brain recording in young children (how exposure to racial groups impacts brain development)
