title: Relationships between racial-ethnic identity, self-esteem and in-group attitudes among First Nation children.
abstract: Positive in-group distinctiveness has been associated with self-esteem increases among adolescents and adults. To examine whether in-group biases are associated with self-esteem enhancement among minority group children, Native Canadian children (N = 414, 209 female) age 6-11 completed each year for 5 years, measures assessing their level of concrete operational thought, racial-ethnic identity, racial-ethnic centrality, implicit and explicit self-esteem, and implicit and explicit in-group attitudes. According to cognitive developmental theory, increases in the level of concrete operational thought will predict increases in racial-ethnic identity, and increases in identity should, in turn, predict more favorable in-group attitudes. Social identity theory predicts that more favorable in-group attitudes should predict increases in self-esteem. Multi-level structural equation modelling revealed support for these hypotheses. Cognitively mature children who identify closely with their group enhanced their level of self-esteem by positively differentiating between group members on dimensions that favor their group. Limitations of the present study and suggestions for future studies are also presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brandon University, Brandon, MB, R7A 6A9, Canada, corenblum@brandonu.ca.
authors.forename: Barry
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Corenblum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D002170:Canada; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires