Gary Petrie

Date Approved

2015

Date Posted

1-6-2016

Degree Type

Campus Only Senior Honors Thesis

Department or School

Psychology

First Advisor

Natalie Dove

Abstract

For the purposes of this study, I am conducting an experiment to determine if there is a potential correlation between how parental views of racial prejudice and biases effect their children, as they grow older. In a study that gathered roughly one hundred students from Eastern Michigan University and through the SONA website, have given them a questionnaire to determine not only their level of racial prejudice, but their parents ideals. The study included 67 female participants and 43 males. They were asked to identify their ethnicity with about 53 percent being Caucasian, 23 Percent being African American, 15 percent Arabic and the rest dispersed between Asian and other identifiable ethnicities. This was done through a situational attitude scale where they were given a scenario and asked to reflect their level of comfort in the given situation. Questions regarding their upbringing and their parent's views were also addressed to gain an understanding of where their potential preconceived notions about other races might stem from. If this data is found to be significant, we can use this, as a teaching tool for not only parents, but also anyone is a leadership role to truly show them how much influence they have over their children.

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