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The Need for Social Developmental Research on Internal and External Motivation to Respond Without Prejudice
  • Katelyn J. Pitcher,
  • Rhiannon Smith
Katelyn J. Pitcher
University of Connecticut

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Rhiannon Smith
University of Connecticut
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Abstract

Racial bias peaks during middle childhood. The development of internal motivation to respond without prejudice (internal MRWP; i.e., a desire to act according to internalized beliefs about racial equality) and external motivation to respond without prejudice (external MRWP; i.e., the desire to appear non-prejudicial in order to avoid social censure or rejection) may help to reduce children’s racial bias. However, internal and external MRWP have almost exclusively been studied among adults. The current review seeks to situate adult internal and external MRWP research within established developmental psychological theories in order to provide a framework for needed developmental research in this area. We consider peer group norms, same- and cross-race friendships, and schools as possible contexts for internal and external MRWP development in middle childhood. Given the urgent threat that racial prejudice poses to society, better understanding the development of motivations to respond without prejudice from early in life is critical.