Professor Onnie Rogers leads new study that uncovers racial biases in the adult reports of preschoolers’ misbehavior

Professor Onnie Rogers, of the Department of Psychology, found that teachers tend to complain more about the behavior of Black students compared to white students — even though researchers found no differences in patterns of misbehavior.

This study followed more than 400 racially diverse 4-year-olds and identified “when to worry” about young children’s disruptive behavior via direct observations. This methodology allowed the researchers to uncover racial biases in the adult reports of preschoolers’ misbehavior because no such racial differences were present when objective methods were used. The researchers’ work builds on the well-known fact that Black children are disproportionally excluded from preschool because of biases in disciplinary practices.

“This requires examining old assumptions and asking different questions,” said Rogers. “One thing we are especially concerned about and paying attention to is the micro or subtle ways that racial biases show up in preschool classrooms and what preschool children learn about race – about their selves as a result.”

Rogers leads the Development of Identities and Cultural Environments (DICE) lab at Northwestern, which conducts research on the development of identities and intersectionality among children and adolescents in diverse cultural environments.

Her findings speak to the need for research on racial bias in school discipline to move beyond documenting the problem to understanding the mechanisms and intervening.

Read more about the study in Northwestern Now.