Evaluative Bias and Preference Behavior in Black and White Children

In an attempt to re-examine the phenomenon of "self-rejection" in blacks, black and white children were asked to view the performance of 2 players (1 black, 1 white) in a ball-tossing game. Each S was in the presence of an E who was either black or white. Each game consisted of 5 trials; the performance outcome of each trial was controlled. Consistent with past research, white Ss showed preference for the white player by rewarding him more for his performance and by more often selecting him as overall "winner." Although black children showed preference for the white player in rewarding him more, those same Ss showed preference for the black player by choosing him more often as overall winner. No consistent white preference in blacks was found to support an interpretation of global "self-rejection." Instead, black children showed preference for whites and blacks as a function of the expressive task within which they were asked to make evaluations.