Why are aliens different?

For 9- and 10-year-olds

This study will take place on a video call, live with a researcher! Clicking on the “Schedule a time to participate” button will send you to an online calendar where you can select a date and time that works for you.

Children will be shown slides with images of a fictional planet and alien society. They will be shown pictures of different aliens, who are all different from each other. Some aliens are a special kind of alien called Flurps. What make some aliens Flurps? Different aliens disagree about this. Children will be presented with different explanations (e.g., a biological explanation, like "some Aliens are Flurps because of how they are born") and then asked whether the aliens who believe that explanation like or dislike the Flurps.

We are studying how children think about different explanations for people's characteristics, and how children see those explanations as relating to prejudice. For example, sometimes biological explanations are associated with increased prejudice (e.g., the idea that boys are biologically better at math), but other times, biological biological explanations are associated with decreased prejudice (e.g., the idea that LGBTQ people are "born that way.") This study will help us understand what children think about how different explanations relate to prejudice.

10 minutes

Within one week of completing the study, you will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift code by email, as long as your child is 9 or 10 years old and attended the Zoom call. Children need not complete the study in order to receive the gift code.