Babies can Develop Racial Bias at Just Six Months of Age

Most people are well aware of the problems that racism has caused – and continues to cause – on a global level. A shocking new report indicates that racism is not necessarily something that people will develop as they get older. In fact, the study suggested that babies can develop racial bias at as young as six months of age.

 

On a recent Fox News live stream YouTube viewers watched the report from the study, which was performed by the University of Toronto. The report was also broadcast on many other major networks and channels, leaving many people shocked at the prospect of babies developing racial bias at such as tender age.

 

Lack of exposure to other races during the first six months of life

 

One of the lead researchers involved with the study, Dr Lee, said that the results indicated that infants between just 6-9 months of age could demonstrate this type of bias. He said that this showed that we were not born with racial bias but added that he did not think it was down to parents teaching their youngsters to discriminate. He said that he believed it was largely to do with the environment that the children grew up in.

 

He went on to state that one of the reasons behind the development of racial bias at such as young age could be the lack of exposure to other races during the first 6-9 months of life. He said that this lack of exposure reinforces this bias, because the babies are not brought up to get used to other races and appearances at this early stage in life.

 

The study involved showing babies within the age group videos of people from different races along with happy and sad music. The reaction of the babies was monitored and because of their responses when shown other-race individuals rather than same-race ones, the study concluded that they had already developed negative emotions.

 

A second study was carried out as part of the overall project, and this was in relation to how well babies were likely to learn from someone of a different race compared to someone of the same race. The results of this second study led  the researchers to believe that babies were less likely to learn effectively from other-race individuals compared to same-race ones.

 

The results of this study will no doubt cause concern for authorities as well as for parents themselves. Dr Lee, who is also a professor at the university, said that the findings from these studies were very significant for a wide range of reasons. He said that they showed that bias in relation to race had already formed by the part of the baby’s first year of life. Dr Lee went on to state that the it was possible, based on the findings of the study, that racial discrimination and bias later in life stemmed from lack of exposure to racially diverse groups during infanthood.