Preventing prejudice and improving intergroup attitudes: A meta-analysis of child and adolescent training programs,☆☆

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Highlights

  • Overall effect size of d = 0.30 indicating low to moderate intervention effects

  • Highest effect sizes by contact interventions and perspective training programs

  • Higher effects for majority groups

  • Lower effects for ethnic out-groups

  • Higher effects for cognitive prejudice and intergroup attitudes measures

Abstract

This article reports the results of a meta-analysis of 81 research reports containing 122 intervention–control comparisons of structured programs to reduce prejudice or promote positive intergroup attitudes in children and adolescents. Overall, the analysis revealed a mean effect size of d = 0.30, indicating low to moderate intervention effects. From the great variety of different approaches, interventions based on direct contact experiences along with social-cognitive training programs designed to promote empathy and perspective taking showed the strongest effect sizes. In addition, effects varied according to the program participant's social status (higher effects for majority groups), the target out-group (lower effect sizes for ethnic vs. disabled and aged out-groups), and the type of outcome assessment (higher effects for cognitive vs. affective and behavioral measures of intergroup attitudes). The discussion considers several limitations including the lack of implementation and follow-up research as well as future direction of research on promoting intergroup relations.

Section snippets

Study selection

Primary studies were selected according to the following eligibility criteria: First, the study had to evaluate a standardized psychological or educational intervention program aimed at reducing prejudice or otherwise improving intergroup attitudes and relations on the basis of intergroup contact, information/knowledge acquisition, or promotion of individual social-cognitive competencies. The main feature for selecting programs was their standardization, that is, there had to be at least a

Description of research reports and comparisons

The 81 research reports were published between 1958 and 2010 and mostly written in English (k = 78, 96.3%). The majority of studies was conducted in the United States (k = 60, 74.1%) and published in scientific journals (k = 51, 63.0%). A further description of the 81 research reports is given in Table 1.

The 122 intervention–control group comparisons contained a great diversity of intervention programs and samples (see Table 2 for details). The majority of interventions addressed prejudice against

Discussion

The present meta-analysis integrated the effects of standardized intervention programs designed to prevent and reduce prejudice or otherwise improve intergroup attitudes in children and adolescents. The interventions proved to be generally effective with a mean effect size of around d = 0.30. These outcomes are largely comparable to those effects ascertained within other prevention fields such as antisocial behavior or the outcomes for social and emotional training programs in general (see, e.g.,

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  • Cited by (0)

    This research was supported by the German Research Foundation Grant BE 3731/2-1.

    ☆☆

    We thank Jonathan Harrow for native-speaker advice.

    1

    References marked with an asterisk indicate research reports included in the meta-analysis. The in-text citations to studies selected for meta-analysis are not preceded by asterisks.

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