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Abstract

To determine whether race influenced preference for the colors black and white by infants and young children a color preference test was administered to 160 subjects who attended day-care centers and who ranged in age from 6 mo. to 4.5 yr. There were equal numbers of males and females and equal numbers of Afro- and Euro-American subjects. Ages of the subjects were controlled so there were 20 subjects in each 6-mo. age interval. Data were obtained from a 12-item test. The test utilized 6 pairs of toys which were identical except one was black and the other was white. The toy a subject selected was considered that subject's preference and the color of that toy was recorded. A two-way analysis of variance and a regression analysis indicated that, as a group, race affected color preference. Age differences did not produce the same effect for Euro-Americans as for Afro-Americans. As age increased, young Afro-American subjects showed a clear increase in their preference for the color white. A corresponding analysis for Euro-Americans did not show a significant change in color preference with an increase in age.

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Effects of Age on Color Preference for Black and White by Infants and Young Children

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