Children’s meta-perceptions about the out-group and their association with intergroup attitudes

Intergroup meta-perceptions are beliefs regarding views the out-group holds about one’s in-group. Although intergroup meta-perceptions may have a critical role in intergroup relations, their manifestations and implications have not been studied in children. This study examines the meta-perceptions of 108 Jewish-Israeli children (5–8- and 11-year-olds, 46 % females) about Arabs (“conflict” out-group) and about Scots (“neutral” out-group) and their association with intergroup attitudes. The findings revealed that already at age 5 children express meta-perceptions of different types and valence about out-groups, and with age, their amount and their complexity increase. In addition, children’s meta-perceptions, in the form of meta-stereotypes about out-groups, are correlated with intergroup attitudes. These findings reveal a divergence in children’s meta-perceptions of unfamiliar neutral versus familiar conflict out-groups (e.g., Scots and Arabs). Specifically, children tend to hold stable, stereotypical meta-perceptions about unfamiliar neutral groups, whereas their meta-perceptions about the familiar conflict out-group are more nuanced. Additionally, there is a developmental shift: younger children typically express negative, stereotypical meta-perceptions about both out-groups, while older children show increasingly positive meta-perceptions about unfamiliar neutral out-groups. Exploring children’s meta-perceptions allows us to identify misperceptions that may require early intervention. • Intergroup meta-perceptions—beliefs about how out-groups view one’s in-group—have not previously been studied in children. • Children as young as 5 generate meta-perceptions of different types and valence toward out-groups. • With age, children’s meta-perceptions increase in amount and complexity. • Children’s meta-stereotypes were significantly associated with their intergroup attitudes. • Meta-perceptions about a familiar conflict out-group were more nuanced than those about an unfamiliar neutral out-group.