Effects of Physical Atypicality on Children's Social Issues and Intergroup Attitudes

Abstract

Individuals vary in the degree to which they are representative, or typical, of their social groups. To investigate the effects of atypicality on intergroup attitudes, elementary-school-age children (N = 97) attending a summer school program were assigned to novel color groups that included typical (blue or green) and atypical (light blue or light green) members. Children’s state self-esteem, ingroup identification, and intergroup attitudes (e.g., trait ratings, evaluations, peer preferences) were assessed following several weeks in the classroom. Results indicated that atypicality primarily affected children’s views of their ingroup. Among younger (but not older) children, atypical group members viewed themselves as more similar to—but less happy being a member of—their ingroup than typical group members.