Children pay attention to their surroundings and if they constantly hear that one race is superior to another, how should this make them feel – shouldn’t children grow up feeling comfortable in their own skin while knowing that all race is considered equal?
Footage from DixonFuller2011‘s channel
The footage of the test above is the most recent test I have been able to find, although it is a remake of the “Doll Test” that was first put into action in the 1940s by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, who designed and conducted a series of experiments to study the psychological effects of segregation on African-American children.
Dr. Kenneth Clark said, “the Doll Test was an attempt on the part of my wife and me to study the development of the sense of self-esteem in children. We worked with Negro children—I’ll call black children—to see the extent to which their colour and their sense of their own race and status influenced their judgment about themselves, their self-esteem.”
These are some of the reactions to this video after it was viewed on YouTube.
This reminds me of the sale of the black and white Barbie controversy, which doll sells more? – which so happened to be the white doll. In 2010 at Walmart, the Black Barbie cost $3 and the white Barbie cost $5.93.Meanwhile in 2014 at an America store called Target, the African American Barbie cost $49.99 while the white Barbie costs $23.49.
The white Barbie sells more and is also the cheaper Barbie, but why? Should they not cost the same?
Although this situation was brought to light in 2014, it is clear from this video that young children may believe one race is better, prettier and nicer than another race, which should not be so. Children doing so at such a young age shows how messed up society is, and how much of a reality check is needed.
Just watched the doll test video and it’s honestly so sad how parents and society unconsciously present these stereotypes and racist ideas
— Courtney Daye (@courtneydaye_) 22 February 2016
Dr. Anuradha Sayal-Bennett, a consultant clinical psychologist weighs in her views on this matter, giving us an insight into the discussion of whether children are growing up with the belief that one race really is better than another.
People on Twitter expressed their views on this test and also voiced their opinions on what is happening and questioning whether it is happening in this day and age as it was in the 40s.
A6. The Clarks Doll Test was particularly infuencial in demonstrating psychological damage to African American kids #lawsocialjusticechat
— Maria Fabrizio (@mariafabrizio1) 10 March 2016
A6) The use of social scientists was imperative. Doll test shows that children of color’s psyche are being damaged #lawsocialjusticechat
— Stephen Krygier (@StephenSean11) 10 March 2016
Feature imaged by Flickr user DryHundredFear via Creative Commons