Development of Stereotypes About the Rich and Poor: Age, Race, and Family Income Differences in Beliefs

• NCJ Number: 212343
• Journal: Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 437-445
• Author(s): Taniesha A. Woods; Beth Kurtz-Costes; Stephanie J. Rowley
• Date Published: October 2005
• Length: 9 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1 P50 MH52429
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A sample of African-American and European-American fourth, sixth, and eighth graders rated the competence of rich and poor children in academics (math, science, reading, writing, school grades, and smartness), sports, and music.

Abstract

The sample consisted of 234 African-American students and 204 European-American students from 10 North Carolina schools in an urban district and a rural district. Race and gender were approximately evenly distributed across grades. Self-report questionnaires were administered to children in a group on school grounds. Students' beliefs about competence in the domains of academics, sports, and music were assessed with reference to the following groups: boys, girls, Blacks, Whites, rich, and poor. For the current study, only data from the "rich" and "poor" scales were analyzed. To determine whether students' stereotypical beliefs differed based on age, race, and family income, multivariate analyses of variance and univariate analyses of variance were performed. Fourth graders reported beliefs that were more favorable toward the rich in all domains; whereas the beliefs of sixth and eighth graders differed across domains, suggesting that as children enter adolescence, their views of the world are increasingly differentiated and complex. Younger children may tend to rely on global/general attitudes toward groups. Black and White youths held stereotypical beliefs that favored the rich in academics, with Blacks reporting a stronger advantage for the rich. White and high-income youth favored the poor in rating sports abilities, whereas Blacks and low-income youth were egalitarian. Family income was a stronger influence than race in driving group differences in beliefs. No interactions were found between grade and race or grade and family income. The implications of the findings for policy and identity-development theory are discussed. 2 tables and 34 references