Loss of Institutional Trust Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Adolescents: A Consequence of Procedural Injustice and a Cause of Life-Span Outcomes.
This research tested a social-developmental process model of trust discernment. From sixth to eighth grade, White and African American students were surveyed twice yearly (ages 11-14; Study 1, N = 277). African American students were more aware of racial bias in school disciplinary decisions, and as this awareness grew it predicted a loss of trust in school, leading to a large trust gap in seventh grade. Loss of trust by spring of seventh grade predicted African Americans' subsequent discipline infractions and 4-year college enrollment. Causality was confirmed with a trust-restoring "wise feedback" treatment delivered in spring of seventh grade that improved African Americans' eighth-grade discipline and college outcomes. Correlational findings were replicated with Latino and White students (ages 11-14; Study 2, N = 206).
University of Texas at Austin.
David S
DS
Yeager
Columbia University.
Valerie
V
Purdie-Vaughns
University of Texas at Austin.
Sophia Yang
SY
Hooper
Stanford University.
Geoffrey L
GL
Cohen
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012935:Social Justice / Q000523:psychology*; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*; D044465:White People / Q000208:ethnology*; D055815:Young Adult