儿童基于心理本质论的种族认知及其影响因素

Children’s Racial/Ethnic Essentialism and its Contributing Factors

心理本质论将类别成员视为由共同的本质所决定,且这些本质对应着一些表面的不可改变的属性。其中,种族本质论就是心理本质论的一种。研究种族本质论的发展对于了解儿童的种族认知具有重要意义。种族本质论者认为,种族具有遗传不变性、有较强的归纳强度和标签具有客观性等特征。但是,基于不同特征的种族本质论的发展存在差异。类属语言、社会文化背景和群体地位,均可能影响儿童种族本质论的发展。这些影响因素提示,可通过减少类属语言的描述和促进民族融合等方式改变儿童的种族本质论。比较儿童对种族本质论的建构与自然世界的建构之间的差异,方便我们探索类别学习跨领域的一致性问题。如何确保种族本质论的发展是适宜的,这需要未来开展一些干预性的研究。

Psychological essentialism regards category members as determined by the common essence,which corresponds to some apparently immutable properties.Among them,racial/ethnic essentialism is a kind of psychological essentialism,which is of great significance to understand children’s cognition of race/ethnicity.Individuals who hold racial/ethnic essentialism regard race/ethnicity as heritably unchanged,having strong inductive potential,and label of race/ethnicity being objective.However,children’s racial/ethnic essentialism basing on different features have different developmental trajectory.Use of generic language,social cultural contexts and the group status all will impact children’s belief of racial/ethnic essentialism,which suggests we may weaken children’s belief of racial/ethnic essentialism by decreasing usage of generic language and promoting national integration.To compare the developmental trajectory between children’s racial/ethnic essentialism and natural essentialism may help us understand the cross-domain consistency in category learning for children.Some intervention studies may be needed to ensure the development of racial/ethnic essentialism is appropriate.