On the origins of racial attitudes: Correlates of childhood experiences

This study explored the developmental correlates of undergraduates' current racial attitudes and two factors involved in motivation to control prejudi ced reactions-concern with acting prejudiced and restraint to avoid dispute . A questionnaire assessed the frequency and nature of participants' childh ood experiences with Blacks as well as perceptions of their parents ' racia l attitudes. Results suggest that automatically activated attitudes may be continually updated, whereas factors involved in motivation to control prej udiced reactions remain related in adulthood to earlier childhood experienc es. Positive attitudes were associated only with positive interactions when they were recent thigh school), whereas participants' reports of greater c oncern. were associated with more positive interactions at all school level s and with perceptions that their parents were unprejudiced. Greater restra int was associated with delayed and infrequent contact, more negative inter actions during middle school, and more parental prejudice.