‘We are the good guys but they are not bad’. In-group positivity and cognitive performance in preschoolers

The general purpose of this study was to analyse the developmental relations between the early forms of ethnic attitudes, and the classification abilities of the young child. We designed new cognitive tasks within a detection paradigm adapted to preschoolers and attitudinal tasks that were presented as games in a computer screen. Participants were 75 majority-group children of 3, 4, and 5 years of age. Children's preferences and positive/negative attitudes towards the in-group (Spaniards) and three out-groups (Latin-Americans, Africans, and Asians) were measured. The results showed a remarkable preference and positivity for the in-group, but not out-group derogation. Children's cognitive performance, to a greater extent than their age, was positively associated with in-group favouritism and positivity. On the other hand, we found some interesting differences and developmental changes in children's positive orientation to the out-groups that are discussed in the last section.