Effects of midterm integration on state and trait anxiety in black and white elementary school children

This study investigated the effects of stress associated with school integration on state and trait anxiety for 637 Black and White fourth- fifth- and sixth-grade children. A court-ordered integration plan resulted in the transfer of children from all-White and all-Black schools into integrated schools 2 months before the end of the school year. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC) was administered 1 week prior to the transfer and 6 weeks following transfer. Females who were transferred had higher state anxiety scores than nontransferred females, but there were no differences for males. Transferred Black and White children did not differ in state anxiety, but transferred Blacks were higher in trait anxiety than transferred Whites.