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

项目总结/摘要 拟议的项目将采用多中心校内随机对照试验（RCT）干预设计， 促进积极的群体间关系，减少童年时期的偏见。健康后果 遭受歧视的儿童（例如，辱骂、欺凌、排斥）的情况包括 健康和福祉受损，压力和焦虑，以及社交退缩。此外， 使偏见永久化（即，对社会群体持有偏见，限制了他们的社会互动）也会经历 与健康有关的压力与学校环境中的负面群体间关系有关。因此减少 童年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，内隐偏见（对其他社会关系的消极态度） 观察者不知道的群体）和明确的偏见（刻板印象）早在学前班就出现了。 这一现象在儿童期后期变得更加普遍，特别是作为社会排斥的理由。 研究表明，与来自不同民族、种族和文化背景的同龄人积极接触， 背景有效地减少了偏见和偏见。鉴于普遍存在基于偏见的社会排斥， 在儿童中，该项目的目标是促进群体间的积极接触，减少偏见， 童年的刻板印象。参与者将是三年级，四年级和五年级的学生（8 - 11岁; N = 1，440）， 位于大都会区外的一个大型公立学区的12所学校的72间教室。样品 将是种族和民族多样化，包括欧洲裔美国人，非洲裔美国人，拉丁美洲人，亚洲人， 美国和多种族的学生，他们将被随机分配到一个干预计划或控制 条件（商业化）。为期10周的课程涉及使用基于网络的课堂 一个名为“培养包容性青年”的课程工具，结合教师主导的课堂讨论 sessions.孩子们做决定，并观察自己的决定的结果作为行动 在使用应用程序时，根据他们的包含或排除选择展开。 包括社会情感因素（学校归属感、同伴和教师支持、族裔和性别方面的公众关注）， 群体间的态度（社会排斥评价和友谊选择的多样性）。分析将利用 混合建模使用限制最大似然估计。我们预计，与对照组相比， 干预组儿童的社会情绪得分较高，组间偏见较低 干预后的分数。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.