Acquiring group bias: Observing other people's nonverbal signals can create social group biases.

ABSTRACT: Evidence of group bias based on race, ethnicity, nationality, and language emerges early in the life span. Although understanding the initial acquisition of group bias has critical theoretical and practical implications, precisely how group biases are acquired has been understudied. In two preregistered experiments, we tested the hypothesis that generalized social group biases can be acquired through exposure to positive nonverbal signals directed toward a novel adult from one group and more negative nonverbal signals directed toward a novel adult from another group. We sought to determine whether children would acquire global nonverbal signal-consistent social group biases that extended beyond their explicit social preferences, by measuring children's preferences, imitation, and behaviora

SUBMITTER: Skinner AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8276637 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature