Citation

Nesdale D, Lawson MJ. Child Dev. 2011; 82(5): 1594-1606.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01637.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The effects of social group norms (inclusion vs. exclusion vs. exclusion‐plus‐relational aggression) and school norms (inclusion vs. no norm) on 7‐ and 10‐year‐old children's intergroup attitudes were examined. Children (n = 383) were randomly assigned to a group with an inclusion or exclusion norm, and to 1 of the school norm conditions. Findings indicated that children's out‐group attitudes reflected their group's norm but, with increasing age, they liked their in‐group less, and the out‐group more, if the group had an exclusion norm. The school inclusion norm instigated more positive attitudes toward out‐group members, but it did not moderate or extinguish contrary group norms. The use of school norms to counteract the effects of children's social group norms is discussed.