ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5334-4515
Date of Award
2022
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Philosophy (Ph.D)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
William Chaplin
Second Advisor
Beverly Greene
Third Advisor
Raymond DiGiuseppe
Abstract
The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that school and mental health professionals more strongly associate externalizing behaviors with Black children compared to White children. To test this hypothesis, we developed an implicit association test to determine if there was a difference in the reaction times in classifying symptoms as externalizing when the symptoms were paired with the word “Black Child” as opposed to paired with the word “White Child”. In a sample of 54 school and mental health professionals, we found clear evidence in support of our hypothesis. The existence of this implicit bias may explain the discrepancy in the diagnosis of externalizing behaviors in Black and White children and may also explain the existence of the school-to-prison pipeline that has been widely discussed with respect to how Black children are treated in our education system.
Recommended Citation
Francis, Maura, "RACIAL BIAS IN THE ASSOCIATION OF EXTERNALIZING SYMPTOMS WITH BLACK AND WHITE CHILDREN: THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF AN IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST" (2022). Theses and Dissertations. 491.
https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/491