An Intervention to Promote Positive Peer Relationships and Reduce Prejudice and Bias in Childhood

项目摘要/摘要 拟议的项目将使用多点校内随机对照试验(RCT)干预设计来 促进积极的群体间关系，减少儿童时期的偏见。对健康的影响 由于偏见而遭受歧视(例如，辱骂、欺凌、排斥)的儿童包括 损害健康和幸福，压力和焦虑，以及社交退缩。此外，那些 持久的偏见(即对社会群体持有偏见，限制了他们的社交互动)也经历了 在学校环境中，与健康相关的压力与消极的群体间关系有关。因此，减少了 儿童时期的偏见和偏见对所有儿童的健康、态度和学业都有积极的影响。 广泛的发展科学研究表明，隐性偏见(对其他社会的负面态度) 观察者没有意识到的群体)和明显的偏见(刻板印象)早在学龄前就出现了 在这一时期，尤其是作为被社会排斥的理由时，儿童后期会变得更加普遍。 研究表明，与来自不同种族、种族和文化的同龄人进行积极接触 背景有效地减少了偏见和偏见。鉴于基于偏见的社会排斥的盛行 在儿童中，该项目的目标是促进积极的群体间接触，减少偏见和 童年时代的刻板印象。参与者为3年级、4年级和5年级学生(8-11岁；N=1,440) 在大都市以外的一个大型公立学区的12所学校里，有72间教室。样本 将是种族和民族多样化的，包括欧洲裔美国人，非裔美国人，拉丁裔/a，亚裔- 美国学生和多种族学生，他们将被随机分配到干预计划或对照组 情况(一切照常)。为期10周的课程包括使用课堂内基于网络的 课程工具名为发展包容性青年，与教师主导的课堂讨论相结合 会话。儿童作出决定，并观察他们自己决策的结果作为行动 根据他们在使用应用程序时的纳入或排除选择展开。前测后测措施 包括社会情感(学校归属、同伴和教师支持、族裔和性别公众尊重)和 群体间态度(社会排斥评估和友谊选择的多样性)。分析将利用 使用约束最大似然估计的混合建模。我们预计，与对照组相比 在群体中，干预计划中的儿童将具有更高的社会情绪得分和更低的群体间偏见 干预后的得分。减少偏见态度的好处将是促进健康 儿童的社会和情感发展。

Project Summary/Abstract The proposed project will use a multi-site within-school randomized control trial (RCT) intervention design to promote positive intergroup relationships and to reduce prejudice in childhood. The health consequences for children who experience discrimination (e.g., name-calling, bullying, exclusion) as a result of prejudice include compromised health and well-being, stress and anxiety, and social withdrawal. Further, individuals who perpetuate bias (i.e., hold biases about social groups that restrict their social interactions) also experience health-related stress associated with negative intergroup relationships in school settings. Thus, reducing prejudice and bias in childhood has positive health, attitudinal, and academic outcomes for all children. Extensive developmental science research has shown that implicit bias (negative attitudes toward other social groups of which the beholder is unaware) and explicit biases (stereotypes) emerge as early as the preschool period and become more pervasive by late childhood, particularly as justifications for social exclusion. Research has provided evidence that positive contact with peers from different ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds effectively reduces prejudice and bias. Given the prevalence of bias-based social exclusion among children, the goal of the project is to promote positive intergroup contact and reduce biases and stereotypes in childhood. Participants will be 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students (8 – 11 years of age; N = 1,440) in 72 classrooms in 12 schools in a large public school district outside of a large metropolitan area. The sample will be racially and ethnically diverse and include European-American, African-American, Latino/a, Asian- American, and multiracial students, who will be randomly assigned to an intervention program or a control condition (Business-as-Usual). The 10-week program involves the use of an in-classroom web-based curriculum tool called Developing Inclusive Youth, in conjunction with teacher-led classroom discussion sessions. Children make decisions and observe the outcomes of their own decision-making as the action unfolds contingent on their inclusion or exclusion choice while using the app. The pre-test post-test measures include socioemotional (school belonging, peer and teacher support, ethnic and gender public regard) and intergroup attitudes (social exclusion evaluations, and diversity in friendship choices). Analyses will utilize mixed modeling using restricted maximum likelihood estimation. We expect that, compared to the control group, children in the intervention program will have higher socioemotional scores and lower intergroup bias scores following the intervention. The benefits of decreasing prejudiced attitudes will be promotion of healthy social and emotional development of children.