The purpose of the present study was to investigate the potential for cross-ethnic miscommunication of facial expressions. The ability of elementary school children to identify emotion in African American and European American facial expressions and how this ability relates to social competence was examined. African American (n = 37) and European American (n = 37) children were administered African American and European American faces. Sociometric ratings also were obtained. The ability to read faces differing in ethnicity did not differ by children’s ethnicity. However, ability to read facial expressions of one’s own ethnic group, but not the other, was significantly related to social competence.
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