The Attribution of Behavioural Connotations to Shaded and White Figures by Caucasian Children

Children between the ages of 3 and 11 years were asked to ascribe positive and negative behavioural characteristics to pictures of white and shaded figures. Whilst the younger children, 3 and 4 years, tended to do this in a random fashion, children between the ages of 5 and 8 years showed a marked increase in the attribution of negative statements to shaded figures and positive statements to white figures. From the age of 9 years there was a diminution in this behaviour. Exposure to coloured immigrant children in the school and play-group situations was associated with a decrease in this prejudicial behaviour.