The Need for Social Developmental Research on Internal and External Motivation to Respond Without Prejudice

Ethnic and racial bias peaks during middle childhood. The development of internal motivation to respond without prejudice (IMRWP, i.e., a desire to act according to internalized beliefs about equality) and external motivation to respond without prejudice (EMRWP, i.e., the desire to appear non-prejudicial in order to avoid social censure or rejection) may help to reduce children’s racial bias. However, IMRWP and EMRWP have almost exclusively been studied among adults. The current review seeks to situate IMRWP and EMRWP research within established developmental psychological theories in order to provide a framework for needed research in this area. We describe how peer norms may contribute to or hinder internal and external MRWP development over the course of middle childhood. We consider same- and cross-ethnicity/race friendships as possible sources of IMRWP development. Finally, we address the potential for schools to contribute to both IMRWP and EMRWP development through policies that emphasize intergroup contact and education about race and racism. Given the urgent threat that ethnic and racial prejudice poses to society, better understanding the development of motivations to respond without prejudice from early in life is critical.