Racial Identification and Preference
Clark, M.P. & Clark, K. (1947). “Racial Identification and Preference”.
Arhe Vaninetti
Research Methods and Statistics, PSY301, Pacific University, Oregon
April 4, 2023
Before Clark & Clark’s (1947) groundbreaking study on the impacts of segregation on young African American children’s sense of self, the ‘Doll Study’ originated from Mamie Phipps Clark’s Master’s thesis at Howard University. Together, Clark & Clark created a study that aimed to illustrate that even the youngest subjects were aware of the weight of segregation. To do this, the Clarks designed a study where African American children were asked to pick between two identical dolls (with the exception of skin tone—one was White and one was Black) to highlight preference for skin color.
The eight questions that the Clarks asked were grouped into three categories: preferences, knowledge of racial differences, and self identification. The subjects in this study were 253 young African American children, with 134 from segregated nursery groups in Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, and Little Rock, Arkansas. The other 119 African American children were from a racially integrated nursery in Springfield, Massachusetts. The subjects’ ages ranged from 3 to 7 years old. The Clarks took time to categorize each child as having either “light,” “medium,” or “dark” skin tones—with most children falling into the “medium” category (n = 128).
With the design set up, the Clarks studied the children’s choice of doll, as well as voluntary verbal responses. What they found was that 66% of the African American children preferred the White doll. Of the age groups, the 7-year-old children were more likely to pick the Black doll than the other age groups. Furthermore, the children from the Northern group (Massachusetts) favored the White doll more than the children from the Southern group (Arkansas).
The Clarks found that awareness of racial differences (i.e., the ability to label someone as White or Black) did not indicate an accurate self identification—as ~90% of the children identified with the White doll. Overall, neither age level nor location mattered in understanding racial awareness of differences in others (as all children responded either negatively or indifferent to the Black doll). The Clarks used a critical ratio to evaluate their data.
This study was simple but robust in nature, and lended itself to the Brown v. Board of Education trial of 1954, where segregation in public schools was overturned. The Clark’s study was used in the 1954 trial to show the ill effects of racism and segregation on young African American children in both the North and the South. This was one of the first instances of using social and psychological evidence in a court of law, instead of honoring precedent, and sparked a renewed focus on psychological science.
For the time period, this study was effective and poignant, and should be viewed as a respected piece of research on psychology. To replicate this study in a contemporary setting, one would need to adjust the language used in the eight questions given to the children, as language has changed as the result of progress. Utilizing similar language to honor the study, however, would also be necessary, as simplicity is required with working with children subjects.
Furthermore, this study would likely uncover additional factors contributing to issues of race—namely gender. In contemporary replication studies, there is often a reluctance by male subjects to play with dolls due to perceived gender stereotypes. Similarly, young girls may be more likely to choose the White doll due to beauty standards in the Western world often reflecting Euro-centric ideals. Additionally, utilizing a range of skin colors for the dolls may be beneficial. Statistically, this study would benefit from a comparison group of White children to reinforce the data and results.