Experimenter effects on ingroup preference and self-concept of urban aboriginal children

Abstract

The present study investigated the effects of experimenter (Aboriginal vs. Anglo), school culture, gender, and age on 117 Aboriginal-Australian children's ingroup preference and self-concept. Based on self-categorisation theory, an experimenter effect on ingroup preference but not on self-concept, was predicted. Past research led to a further hypothesis that the children would show outgroup preference. Results confirmed that the children showed greater ingroup preference when interviewed by an Aboriginal experimenter; no experimenter effect was found with self-concept scores. However, they did not uniformly show outgroup preference as was predicted; scores were quite heterogeneous. While age had no significant effect on ingroup preference, a negative correlation existed between age and self-concept. Self-concept scores were unrelated to ingroup preference scores. Implications of the findings and limitations of the present study are discussed.