Projects
Promoting intergroup relations in children: Development and systematic evaluation of a multimodal social-cognitive training program to prevent prejudice and discrimination in elementary school children
Project summary
Problematic aspects of intergroup relations such as prejudice and discrimination toward specific social groups are a frequent phenomenon in society. Most approaches in the social sciences for promoting intergroup relations have been developed within the framework of the contact hypothesis. Although comparative meta-analyses reveal the effectiveness of such interventions, they have certain disadvantages (e.g., availability of outgroup members and gaining their cooperation). Although research in developmental psychology is showing that negative judgment processes emerge at an early age and correlate strongly with the level of cognitive and sociocognitive development, the majority of contact programs address adolescents and adults. Against this background, the aim of the proposed project is to develop and systematically evaluate a multimodal prevention program with a social-cognitive focus. This training program will be based on theoretical as well as empirical findings and methods on how to modify negative judgment processes and promote intergroup relations. The empirical evaluation will take the form of a controlled longitudinal intervention study in elementary schools. 300 elementary school students will be assigned to equal-sized training and control groups at the age of 8 to 9 years and tested three times (pre-test, post-test, and one year follow-up). The aim of the empirical assessment is to compile a scientifically based curriculum for children in the tested age range that can be applied routinely in elementary schools to advance intergroup relations.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Andreas Beelmann
Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Institute of Psychologie
Humboldtstr. 26
07743 Jena
e-mail: andreas.beelmann{at}uni-jena.de
Fon: +49 (0) 3641 9 45901
Fax: +49 (0)3641/ 9-45902
Last update of this page: 08/07/02
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