Parents' ethnic-racial socialization practices: a review of research and directions for future study

Recently, there has been an emergence of literature on the mechanisms through which parents transmit information, values, and perspectives about ethnicity and race to their children, commonly referred to as racial or ethnic socialization. This literature has sought to document the nature of such socialization, its antecedents in parents' and children's characteristics and experiences, and its consequences for children's well-being and development. In this article, the authors integrate and synthesize what is known about racial and ethnic socialization on the basis of current empirical research, examining studies concerning its nature and frequency; its child, parent, and ecological predictors; and its consequences for children's development, including ethnic identity, self-esteem, coping with discrimination, academic achievement, and psychosocial well-being. The authors also discuss conceptual and methodological limitations of the literature and suggest directions for future research.     

Directional uncertainty in visually guided pointing

Studies of the relationship between stimulus-response uncertainty and reaction times indicate three qualitatively different functions: Hick's law, simple-choice step function, or flat curve (no effect at all). The extent of stimulus-response S-R) compatibility appears to interact with the effects of uncertainty on response times. One possible hypothesis regarding these various S-R uncertainty functions is that uncertainty will have an effect whenever the stimuli and their associated responses are not within the same egocentric spatial coordinates. We tested this hypothesis in 5 undergraduate participants (2 men, M age 18.7 yr., range 18-20) by investigating the time-course of pointing to peripherally located visual targets under four different levels of uncertainty (1, 2, 4, or 8 possible locations). Surprisingly, the resulting response function does not match any of those previously reported. Visually guided pointing produced a quadratic reaction time function as S-R uncertainty increases in log2 steps from 1 to 8.     

Solving small spaces: investigating the use of landmark cues in brown capuchins (Cebus apella)

Some researchers have recently argued that humans may be unusual among primates in preferring to use landmark information when reasoning about some kinds of spatial problems. Some have explained this phenomenon by positing that our species’ tendency to prefer landmarks stems from a human-unique trait: language. Here, we test this hypothesis—that preferring to use landmarks to solve such tasks is related to language ability—by exploring landmark use in a spatial task in one non-human primate, the brown capuchin monkey (Cebus apella). We presented our subjects with the rotational displacement task, in which subjects attempt to relocate a reward hidden within an array of hiding locations which are subsequently rotated to a new position. Over several experiments, we varied the availability and the salience of a landmark cue within the array. Specifically, we varied (1) visual access to the array during rotation, (2) the type of landmark, (3) the consistency of the landmark qualities, and (4) the amount of exposure to the landmark. Across Experiments 1 through 4, capuchins did not successfully use landmarks cues, suggesting that non-linguistic primates may not spontaneously use landmarks to solve some spatial problems, as in this case of a small-scale dynamic spatial task. Importantly, we also observed that capuchins demonstrated some capacity to learn to use landmarks in Experiment 4, suggesting that non-linguistic creatures may be able to use some landmarks cues in similar spatial tasks with extensive training.     

The Effect of Action Valence and Race on 3- to 8-Year-Old Children's Social Cognitive Judgments

The present study investigated children's judgments of actions as a function of the valence of the action and the race of the actor. Three- to 8-year-old children were read an illustrated storybook in which 1 character did not share (a negatively valenced action) and the other character was helpful (a positively valenced action). The race of the characters was manipulated such that in the story, there was 1 Black character and 1 White character. Children were asked to make judgments about how mean/nice the characters were and what consequence (reward or punishment) they should receive for their actions. Despite the fact that children of this age show explicit and implicit pro-White biases (e.g., Baron & Banaji, 2006 Baron, A. S., & Banaji, M. R. (2006). The development of implicit attitudes: Evidence of race evaluations from ages 6 and 10 and adulthood. Psychological Science, 17, 53–58. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01664.x[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), children's judgments were based solely on the valence of action and not on character race. The findings are discussed in light of moral development and the development of bias as it pertains to race.     

Comparing Chinese and Western Visitors’ Responses to Interpretive Signs at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding,China

ABSTRACT

Visitor experiences and interpretation at wildlife tourism sites are often designed to encourage visitors to adopt conservation actions. Typically, conservation messages are delivered via one-size-fits-all interpretive signage, with little consideration given to whether the same information attracts and engages different cultural groups. This study explores Chinese and international visitors’ perceptions of signage at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. Four sign prototypes were designed and a combination of visitor observations, interviews, and exit surveys were used to test their attracting and holding power. Comparisons of Chinese and Western visitors revealed no significant difference in the proportion who stopped to read signs. Preferences for signage elements were also similar across the two cultural groups; however, there were differences in terms of what visitors thought should be included in wildlife interpretation. Implications for the design and delivery of interpretation in Chinese wildlife tourism settings are discussed.     

Applying Motivational Interviewing in a Domestic Violence Shelter: A Pilot Study Evaluating the Training of Shelter Staff

ABSTRACT

This pilot study examined the use of motivational interviewing (MI) with 20 women receiving services at a domestic violence shelter. The experimental group (n = 10) received regular treatment services (RTS) from shelter counselors who were trained in MI; the control group (n = 10) received RTS only. Fisher's exact test showed that participants who received MI-enhanced RTS were significantly more motivated for change (p = .029), as measured through a dichotomous readiness for change motivational variable on the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA; Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, &; Addiction Research Division, 1996 Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, &; Addiction Research Division. 1996. University of Rhode Island Change Instrument (URICA) Scale, Albuquerque, NM: Author.  [Google Scholar]). Findings suggest that MI can be helpful in increasing the readiness for change in domestic violence survivors who contemplate leaving abusive relationships.