White children's prosocial behavior toward White versus Black peers: The role of children's effortful control and parents' implicit racial attitudes

White children's effortful control (EC), parents' implicit racial attitudes, and their interaction were examined as predictors of children's prosocial behavior toward White versus Black recipients. Data were collected from 171 White children (55% male, M-age = 7.13 years, SD = 0.92) and their parent in 2017. Prosocial behavior toward White peers was predicted by children's higher EC. When predicting prosocial behavior toward Black peers and prosocial disparity (the difference between White and Black recipients), parents' implicit racial attitudes moderated the relation between children's EC and children's prosocial behavior. Specifically, children's EC was positively associated with prosocial behavior toward Black peers (and negatively related to inequity in prosocial behavior) only when parents exhibited less implicit racial bias.

Automated summary

This study examined how white children's effortful control, parents' implicit racial attitudes, and their interaction predicted children's prosocial behavior toward white and black recipients. Data were collected from 171 white children and their parents in 2017. Higher effortful control in children predicted prosocial behavior toward white peers. The relationship between children's effortful control and prosocial behavior toward black peers was moderated by parents' implicit racial attitudes.