LIKING AND PEER PERCEPTIONS AMONG ASIAN AND WHITE BRITISH CHILDREN

Study 1 investigated liking and perceptions of classmates in 140 Asian and White boys and girls in three racially mixed schools. All four gr oups selected significantly more own-race than other-race classmates a s Like Most choices. For Like Least choices, White girls and boys sele cted significantly more other-race classmates, Asian boys significantl y more own-race classmates, Asian girls did not differ in own-race and other-race choices. Using ratings, White children and Asian children showed greater liking of own-race than other-race classmates. White ch ildren received more nominations for Starts Fights and Disrupts from A sian than White raters but more nominations for Cooperates from White than Asian raters. Perceptions of cooperation in individual peers were hypothesized to influence liking and to explain the weak links betwee n liking of classmates and liking expressed for unknown own-race and o ther-race children shown in photographs. Study 2 investigated further the reasons why children (IV = 124) like some classmates most and othe rs least. Supporting the hypothesis from Study 1, the most common reas ons given for liking classmates most were because they were cooperativ e and played with the interviewee; the most common reason given;for wh y classmates were liked least was because they were bullies. The resul ts are discussed in terms of the development of inter-racial liking in children and attempts to enhance liking among children from different racial backgrounds by cooperative group work methods.