Translating Recategorization Strategies Into an Antibias Educational Intervention

Abstract

This experiment explored whether the benefits of a complete recategorization and a dual identity might effectively be translated into an intervention program designed to reduce prejudice among European Portuguese and African Portuguese 9‐ to 11‐year‐old children. Participants interacted for 45 minutes in weekly sessions for a month. One month after the last interaction, measures were administered to the children. Results revealed that only recategorization reduced prejudice over time relative to the control condition. Consistent with a functional perspective regarding which representation would most effectively promote their group's goals, a one‐group representation was more effective for the African Portuguese minority group.

Feeling like a group after a natural disaster: Common ingroup identity and relations with outgroup victims among majority and minority young children

“…Basic predictions of the CIIM have been supported by an impressive number of experimental (e.g., Dovidio et al, 1997;Gaertner, Mann, Murrell, & Dovidio, 1989;Gonzalez & Brown, 2003;Hall, Crisp, & Suen, 2009;Riek, Mania, Gaertner, McDonald, & Lamoreaux, 2010; Study 2), longitudinal (Levin, Sinclair, Sidanius, & Van Laar, 2009;Schofield, Hausmann, Ye, & Woods, 2010), and cross-sectional (e.g., Capozza, Trifiletti, Vezzali, & Favara, 2013;Capozza, Vezzali, Trifiletti, Falvo, & Favara, 2010;Gaertner, Rust, Dovidio, Bachman, & Anastasio, 1994) studies. Moreover, there are indications that the CIIM is also an effective prejudice-reduction strategy among young children (Guerra, Rebelo, Monteiro, & Gaertner, 2013;Guerra et al, 2010). Guerra et al (2010) experimentally manipulated the endorsement of group representations among majority (European-Portuguese) and minority (African-Portuguese) elementary school children.…”

“…Guerra et al (2010) experimentally manipulated the endorsement of group representations among majority (European-Portuguese) and minority (African-Portuguese) elementary school children. Results showed that bias in resource allocations and competence ratings towards outgroup classmates was lower when a superordinate identity was salient, compared to when children perceived to belong to distinct groups (for a similar intervention, see Guerra et al, 2013; for evidence supporting the CIIM among young children in the context of an imagined intergroup interaction, see Vezzali et al, 2015).…”

Including Both Voices: A New Bidirectional Framework for Understanding and Improving Intergroup Relations

“…() and Guerra et al. () explain the discrepancy between their findings and the US findings from a functional perspective, where the most effective form of cognitive recategorisation for any given group is the one that is most capable of promoting that group's goals during contact. They argue that a dual identity may not be adaptive for Angolan Portuguese children whose priority in contact with the majority group may be to assimilate and attain equality given their more tenuous status in society.…”

“…() implemented a contact intervention, involving intergroup contact between minority Angolan Portuguese and majority European Portuguese children. Among minority children, emphasising a common identity led to significant improvements in intergroup bias, in terms of competence ratings of majority children who were present in the contact situation in addition to ratings of the outgroup as a whole (Guerra, Rebelo, Monteiro, & Gaertner, ). In contrast, for majority children, emphasising a dual identity manipulation was more effective in improving intergroup bias towards children present (Guerra et al., ), although not towards the outgroup as a whole (Guerra et al., , ).…”

“…Among minority children, emphasising a common identity led to significant improvements in intergroup bias, in terms of competence ratings of majority children who were present in the contact situation in addition to ratings of the outgroup as a whole (Guerra, Rebelo, Monteiro, & Gaertner, 2013). In contrast, for majority children, emphasising a dual identity manipulation was more effective in improving intergroup bias towards children present (Guerra et al, 2010), although not towards the outgroup as a whole (Guerra et al, 2010(Guerra et al, , 2013. Guerra et al (2010) and Guerra et al (2013) explain the discrepancy between their findings and the US findings from a functional perspective, where the most effective form of cognitive recategorisation for any given group is the one that is most capable of promoting that group's goals during contact.…”