PSYCH355 Lecture 5: cross race friendship article

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH355
• Professor: Hilary B Bergsieker

Document Summary

Cross race friendships important to reduce racial segregation and prejudice and improve self esteem/ses support. Childhood is critical time: close cross race childhood friends correlate with positive racial attitudes in later life. Research shows cross race friendships are less likely and shorter duration, lower quality. Goal of research is to examine dimensions of peer relations ie. mutual friends, interactive companions to view differences between same/cross race friendships" as a function of students" grade, gender, race. Another goal to test link between peer relations and racial attitudes (no empirical evidence in children) Childhood considered critical time for forming cross race relations and often occurs at school. Assumption that children have different friend groups that decrease over time. Mutual friends: nominating each other as best friends. If race similarity is factor in friend selection, researchers expect same race friends proportionally selected when less available in classroom.