The Color Doll Experiments
The Clarks'
doll experiments grew out of Mamie Clark's master's degree thesis. They
published three major papers between 1939 and 1940 on children's
self-perception related to race. Their studies found contrasts among Black
children attending segregated
schools in Washington, DC
versus those in integrated schools in New York. The doll experiment involved a child being
presented with two dolls. Both of these dolls were completely identical except
for the skin and hair color. One doll was white with yellow hair, while the
other was brown with black hair. The child was then asked questions inquiring as to which
one is the doll they would play with, which one is the nice doll, which one
looks bad, which one has the nicer color, etc. The experiment showed a clear
preference for the white doll among all children in the study. These findings
exposed internalized racism in Black children, self-hatred that was more acute
among children attending segregated schools. This research also paved the way
for an increase in psychological research into areas of self-esteem and
self-concept. Have our minds been changed?
today
yesterday
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