This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Towles-Schwen, T. Articles by Fazio, R. H. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Towles-Schwen, T. Articles by Fazio, R. H. Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

On the Origins of Racial Attitudes: Correlates of Childhood Experiences

Indiana University

Russell H. Fazio

Indiana University, fazio{at}indiana.edu

This study explored the developmental correlates of undergraduates’ current racial attitudes and two factors involved in motivation to control prejudiced reactions—concern with acting prejudiced and restraint to avoid dispute. A questionnaire assessed the frequency and nature of participants’ childhood experiences with Blacks as well as perceptions of their parents’ racial attitudes. Results suggest that automatically activated attitudes may be continually updated, whereas factors involved in motivation to control prejudiced reactions remain related in adulthood to earlier childhood experiences. Positive attitudes were associated only with positive interactions when they were recent (high school), whereas participants’ reports of greater concern were associated with more positive interactions at all school levels and with perceptions that their parents were unprejudiced. Greater restraint was associated with delayed and infrequent contact, more negative interactions during middle school, and more parental prejudice.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. A. Rudman, J. E. Phelan, and J. B. Heppen Developmental Sources of Implicit Attitudes Pers Soc Psychol Bull, December 1, 2007; 33(12): 1700 - 1713. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. A. Olson and R. H. Fazio Reducing Automatically Activated Racial Prejudice Through Implicit Evaluative Conditioning Pers Soc Psychol Bull, April 1, 2006; 32(4): 421 - 433. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. C. Miller, M. A. Olson, and R. H. Fazio Perceived Reactions to Interracial Romantic Relationships: When Race is Used as a Cue to Status Group Processes Intergroup Relations, October 1, 2004; 7(4): 354 - 369. [Abstract] [PDF]

				T. Towles-Schwen and R. H. Fazio Choosing Social Situations: The Relation Between Automatically Activated Racial Attitudes and Anticipated Comfort Interacting With African Americans Pers Soc Psychol Bull, February 1, 2003; 29(2): 170 - 182. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. H. Fazio and L. E. Hilden Emotional Reactions to a Seemingly Prejudiced Response: The Role of Automatically Activated Racial Attitudes and Motivation to Control Prejudiced Reactions Pers Soc Psychol Bull, May 1, 2001; 27(5): 538 - 549. [Abstract] [PDF]