The Development of Social Group Cognition in Infancy and Childhood

Abstract

Abstract Although they are far from biological or social maturity, infants and children show surprising early-emerging capacities in social group cognition. This chapter reviews research on when and how infants and children categorize, evaluate, stereotype, and behave differently toward social groups defined by gender, race, age, and language. Research across these groups reveals three thematic conclusions. First, an early-emerging preference for the familiar (e.g., looking at faces most prevalent in infants’ environments), beyond similarity or in-group status. Second, generally similar trajectories across group targets (e.g., looking preferences at three to six months, evaluative associations formed around nine to twelve months) suggesting domain-general cognitive developments may scaffold infant social group cognition. Third, an additional internalization of culturally dominant beliefs and norms of fairness in early to middle childhood (e.g. the emergence of socially desirable, fair responding in middle childhood). Understanding social group cognition is advanced by understanding its origins in early in life.