School of Psychology

Experience Excellence Studying People


Professor Adam Rutland

Professor of Developmental Psychology

 Adam Rutland

 

Research interests

My research examines social-cognitive development. In particular, I focus on the early development of children’s intergroup attitudes and identities. My recent research as examined: when and how children’s prejudice is influenced by self-presentation; how intergroup contact can reduce childhood prejudice; the social and cognitive basis to children’s evaluations of peers within intergroup contexts (the development of subjective group dynamics); ethnic identification and acculturation amongst ethnic minority and majority children

Key Publications

Jugert, P., Noack, P. & Rutland, A. (2011). Friendship preferences among German and Turkish preadolescents. Child Development, 82, 812-829.

Rutland, A., Killen, M. & Abrams, D. (2010). A new social-cognitive developmental perspective on prejudice: The interplay between morality and group identity. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5, 279-291.

Feddes, A. R., Noack, P. & Rutland, A. (2009). Direct and extended friendship effects on minority and majority children's interethnic attitudes: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 80, 377-390

Abrams, D., Rutland, A., Pelletier, J. & Ferrell, J. (2009). Children's group nous: Understanding and applying peer exclusion within and between groups. Child Development, 80, 224-243.

 

 

Also view these in the Kent Academic Repository
Books

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    Killen, M. and Rutland, A. (2011) Children and Social Exclusion: Morality, Prejudice and Group Identity. Understanding Children's Worlds. Wiley-Blackwell, 248 pp. ISBN 9781405176514.

    Abstract

    Social inclusion and exclusion are pervasive aspects of social life. Understanding when exclusion is legitimate or wrong reflects an understanding of morality. While there are times when exclusion is legitimate and fosters group functioning, there are also times when it reflects prejudicial biases and stereotypic expectations. How children weigh fairness and stereotypic expectations when making exclusion decisions is determined by their understanding of group norms, social identity, and friendships with children from other backgrounds. In our contemporary global society, few topics are as timely or pressing as exclusion. Children and Social Exclusion: Morality, Prejudice, and Group Identity delves deeply into the origins of prejudice and the emergence of morality to explain why children include some and exclude others and sheds light on the origins of stereotyping, prejudice, and social justice. By tackling these important issues from a global perspective, Children and Social Exclusion: Morality, Prejudice, and Group Identity illustrates how the concept of exclusion might be better understood in multiple cultures and reveals its implications in regions of conflict in the world

Articles

    Rutland, A. and Cameron, L. and Jugert, Philipp et al. (2012) Group identity and peer relations: A longitudinal study of group identity, perceived peer acceptance and friendships amongst ethnic minority English children. British Journal of Developmental Psychology. ISSN 0261-510X. (in press)

    Abstract

    This research examined whether peer relationships amongst ethnic minority status children reflect the social groups to which children belong and the degree to which they identify with these groups. A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate the influence of group identities (i.e. ethnic and national) on children’s perceived peer acceptance and preference for same-ethnic friendships. Measures of ethnic and English identification, perceived peer acceptance and friendship choice were administered to 207 south-Asian English children, aged between 5-11 years, at two time points six months apart. In line with predictions, longitudinal analysis showed that bicultural identification (i.e. higher ethnic and English identity) was related to higher perceived peer acceptance and less preference for same-ethnic friendships. Importantly, as hypothesized, this finding was limited to the older children with more advanced social-cognitive abilities. The results suggest that older children who adopted a bicultural identity were able to strategically ‘flag’ their multiple group identities, within their multicultural peer groups, to obtain acceptance amongst the maximum number of peers and show less preference for same-ethnic friendships. This study extends previous peer relations research, which have typically focused on individual social deficits or classroom norms, by showing group identities influence peer relationships amongst ethnic minority status children.

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    Cameron, L. and Rutland, A. and Hossian, R. et al. (2011) When and why does extended contact work? The role of high quality direct contact and group norms in the development of positive ethnic intergroup attitudes amongst children. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 14 (2). pp. 193-206. ISSN 1368-4302.

    Abstract

    This research examines quasi-experimentally for the first time whether direct contact moderates the extended contact effect amongst children, and whether the extended contact effect is mediated by either in-group or out-group norms about cross-ethnic friendships. We tested two forms of extended contact (Dual identity and Common in-group identity) among ethnic majority children aged 6–11 years (white–English, n = 153) with differing levels of high quality (i.e., cross-ethnic friendships) or low quality (i.e., acquaintances) direct contact with the Indian–English out-group. As expected, the extended contact effect was demonstrated only amongst children who reported less high quality direct contact. Furthermore, we found the effect of extended contact was mediated by out-group norms. We also found evidence of moderated mediation, with the indirect effect of extended contact through in-group norms being significantly stronger amongst older children. The implications for extended contact theory and the future development of prejudice-reduction interventions amongst children are discussed.

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    Jugert, Philipp and Noack, Peter and Rutland, A. (2011) Friendship preferences among German and Turkish preadolescents. Child Development, 82 (3). pp. 812-829. ISSN 0009-3920.

    Abstract

    This study examined changes in and predictors of preference for same-ethnic friendships amongst German (n = 106) and Turkish (n = 45) preadolescents during their first year in an ethnically heterogeneous school. Drawing on Allport’s (1954) contact hypothesis and related research it examined the relationship between children’s attitudes and their preference for same-ethnic friendship. Amongst both German and Turkish children the latter decreased over time and its variability was predicted by intergroup attitudes and peer norms about cross-ethnic friendships. Outgroup orientation and perceived contact conditions predicted only German children’s preference for same-ethnic friendships. Over time, classroom identification increasingly reduced preference for same-ethnic friendships amongst Turkish children. The results showed that inter-individual attitudes were related to children’s level of intergroup contact.

    Cameron, L. and Rutland, A. and Turner, Rhiannon et al. (2011) Changing attitudes with a little imagination’: Imagined contact effects on young children’s intergroup bias. Anale de Psychologia, 27 (3). pp. 708-717. ISSN 0212-9728.

    Abstract

    The current research tested a recent development in social psychology, namely ‘imagined contact’, among young children (n = 123, 5 to 10 years). Children imagined interacting with a physically disabled child, or did not take part in this activity (the control group). Compared with the control group, children who engaged in ‘imagined contact’ subsequently showed reduced inter-group bias in their general attitude and ratings of warmth and competence. Imagined contact also led to more positive intended friendship behavior towards the disabled, but only among 5 – 6 year olds. This provides partial support for our hypothesis that younger children, perhaps as a result of their lack of out-group experience, are more likely to benefit from imagined contact. Implications for the development of attitudes towards the disabled, imagined contact theory and the development of classroom-based prejudice-reduction techniques based on imagined contact are discussed.

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    Rutland, A. and Killen, M. and Abrams, D. (2010) A new social-cognitive developmental perspective on prejudice: The interplay between morality and group identity. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5 (3). pp. 279-291. ISSN 1745-6916.

    Abstract

    We argue that prejudice should be investigated in the context of social-cognitive development and the interplay between morality and group identity. Our new perspective examines how children consider group identity (and group norms) along with their developing moral beliefs about fairness and justice. This is achieved by developing an integrated framework drawing on developmental and social psychological theories of prejudice. This synthesis results in a perspective which provides a more contextualized analysis of prejudice development than previously offered by developmental theories. We describe research which supports our view that social norms, intergroup contact and perceived out-group threat affect the relative weight children place on moral and group-based criteria during the development of prejudice.

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    Fitzroy, S. and Rutland, A. (2010) Learning to control ethnic intergroup bias in childhood. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40 (4). pp. 679-693. ISSN 1099-0992.

    Abstract

    The aim of this research was to identify what factors deter explicit intergroup bias in childhood. Two studies were conducted to examine what facilitates the control of ethnic bias amongst 6–9-year-old majority children. In both studies in-group accountability was either low (i.e., only accountable to experimenter) or high (i.e., also accountable to classmates and teachers). Study 1 (n?=?287) found that only 8–9-year-old with low social emotions reduced their bias with increased accountability. Study 2 (n?=?236) showed children with low “Theory of Social Mind” (ToSM: Abrams, Rutland, Ferrell, & Pelletier, 2009), who perceived an anti-prejudice in-group norm, decreased their bias when accountability increased. In both studies children high in social emotion and ToSM showed low bias irrespective of accountability. Together these studies make a novel contribution by showing for the first time affective and social-cognitive factors that influence how children learn to control explicit bias.

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    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. and Pelletier, J. et al. (2009) Children's Group Nous: Understanding and Applying Peer Exclusion Within and Between Groups. Child Development, 80 (1). pp. 224-243. ISSN 0009-3920.

    Abstract

    In Study 1, 167 English children aged 6-8 or 9-11 evaluated peer English or French soccer fans that were loyal or partially disloyal. In Study 2, 149 children aged 5-11 made judgments about generic inclusion norms between and within competitive groups. In both studies, children's understanding of intergroup inclusion/exclusion norms (group nous) was predicted by theory of social mind (a social perspective taking measure) but not multiple classification skill. In Study 2, the number of groups children belonged to (an index of peer group experience) also predicted group nous. Supporting the developmental subjective group dynamics model (D. Abrams, A. Rutland, & L. Cameron, 2003), children's experience and perspective taking help them make sense of inter- and intragroup inclusion and exclusion.

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    Feddes, A. and Noack, P. and Rutland, A. (2009) Direct and extended friendship effects on minority and majority children’s interethnic attitudes: A longitudinal study. Child Development, 80. pp. 377-390. ISSN 0009-3920.

    Abstract

    Longitudinal direct and extended cross-ethnic friendship effects on out-group evaluations amongst German (majority status, N = 76) and Turkish (minority status, N = 73) children (age 7-11 yrs) in ethnically heterogeneous elementary schools were examined at the beginning and end of the school year (time-lag: 7 months). The results showed that amongst majority status children, but not minority status children, direct cross-ethnic friendship predicted over time positive out-group evaluations. This association was partly mediated by perceived social norms about cross-ethnic friendship relations. No longitudinal effects of extended cross-ethnic friendship were found. This longitudinal study demonstrates for the first time the causal direction between greater direct cross-ethnic friendship and more positive outgroup attitudes amongst ethnic majority children. In addition, our results suggest that in ethnically heterogeneous contexts, direct friendship is more effective in changing intergroup attitudes than extended friendship and that social status moderates direct friendship effects.

    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. and Pelletier, J. et al. (2009) Children’s Group Nous: Understanding and Applying Peer Exclusion Within and Between Groups. Child Development, 80 (1). pp. 224-243. ISSN 00093920.

    Abstract

    In Study 1, 167 English children aged 6–8 or 9–11 evaluated peer English or French soccer fans that were loyal or partially disloyal. In Study 2, 149 children aged 5–11 made judgments about generic inclusion norms between and within competitive groups. In both studies, children’s understanding of intergroup inclusion/exclusion norms (group nous) was predicted by theory of social mind (a social perspective taking measure) but not multiple classification skill. In Study 2, the number of groups children belonged to (an index of peer group experience) also predicted group nous. Supporting the developmental subjective group dynamics model (D. Abrams, A. Rutland, & L. Cameron, 2003), children’s experience and perspective taking help them make sense of inter- and intragroup inclusion and exclusion.

    Rutland, A. and Cinnirella, M. and Simpson, R. (2008) Stability and Variability in National and European Self-Identification. European Psychologist, 13 (4). pp. 267-276. ISSN 1016-9040.

    Abstract

    This study examines how intergroup context effects on national and European self-identification are in part dependent upon the perceived category relations between relevant self-categories (Rutland & Cinnirella, 2000). Based upon the findings of a first study (N = 45) into the perceived similarity of Scottish, British and European self-categories, we successfully a priori predicted the direction of context effects on self-identification. Our second study (N = 104) found intergroup context effects on European self-identification but not Scottish and British self-identification. As anticipated, European self-identification decreased when Germans and Americans were included in the comparative intergroup context. This study extends previous research into intergroup context effects on self-identification by showing it is possible to predict the direction of such effects with prior consideration of the perceived category relations between self-categories.

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    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. and Ferrell, J. et al. (2008) Children’s judgments of disloyal and immoral peer behaviour: Subjective group dynamics in minimal intergroup contexts. Child Development, 79 (2). pp. 444-461. ISSN 0009-3920.

    Abstract

    The developmental model of subjective group dynamics hypothesizes that peer exclusion during middle childhood involves inferences about group dynamics. To test the generality of this prediction, children judged, within minimal groups, peers whose behavior was loyal versus disloyal (Study 1: n546, mean age5113 months) or morally acceptable versus unacceptable (Study 2: n5121, mean age590 months). As hypothesized, in Study 1, children used their understanding of loyalty norms as a basis for evaluating peers. In both studies, higher commitment to the in-group increased use of group-based criteria for judging peers. In Study 2, children employed moral- and group-based criteria independently for judging peers. Multiple classification skill was associated with lower intergroup bias and greater use of morality-based judgment.

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    Nigbur, C. and Brown, R. and Cameron, L. et al. (2008) Acculturation, well-being and classroom behaviour among white British and British Asian primary-school children in the south-east of England: Validating a child-friendly measure of acculturation attitudes. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 32 (6). pp. 493-504. ISSN 0147-1767.

    Abstract

    Using a sample of white British and British Asian primary-school children (N = 386, aged 5-11 years), we measured acculturation attitudes (own and perceived outgroup), correlated constructs (ingroup and outgroup affect and identification) and relevant outcomes (self-esteem, classroom demeanour) in a structured interview to validate a customised, child-friendly measure of acculturation attitudes based on Berry's framework. Scale items measuring desire for culture maintenance and intergroup contact loaded onto the predicted factors, were internally reliable and showed concurrent validity with affect and identification. The predictive utility of measures was demonstrated in associations between children's acculturation attitudes (or perceived discrepancies with those of the outgroup) and outcomes such as self-esteem and teacher ratings of emotional symptoms.

    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. and Cameron, L. et al. (2007) Older but wilier: in-group accountability and the development of subjective group dynamics. Developmental Psychology, 43 (1). pp. 134-148. ISSN 0012-1649.

    Abstract

    To test social and cognitive variables that may affect the development of subjective group dynamics, the authors had 224 children between the ages of 5 and 12 years evaluate an in-group and an out-group and normative and deviant in-group members under conditions of high or low accountability to in-group peers. In-group bias and relative favorability to normative versus deviant in-group members (differential evaluation) increased when children were accountable to peers and as a function of perceptions of peer group acceptance of these members (differential inclusion). These effects were significantly larger among older children. Multiple classification ability was unrelated to judgments of group members. This study shows that the development of subjective group dynamics involves an increase in sensitivity to the normative aspects of the intergroup context.

    Cameron, L. and Rutland, A. and Brown, R. (2007) Promoting children's positive intergroup attitudes towards stigmatized groups: Extended contact and multiple classification skills training. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31 (5). pp. 454-466. ISSN 0165-0254.

    Abstract

    Two studies were conducted to evaluate interventions, based upon the extended contact hypothesis and multiple classification skills training, which aimed to promote children's positive intergroup attitudes towards two stigmatized groups. Study I tested whether extended contact and multiple classification skills training changed out-group attitudes towards the disabled among 6-9 year-old children. Out-group attitudes were significantly more positive only in the extended contact condition compared to the control. Study 2 involved four conditions: control, extended contact, modified multiple classification skills training and a combination of both interventions. Again, only the 6-11 year-old children who experienced the extended contact interventions (extended contact and combined) showed significantly more positive attitudes towards the refugee out-group compared to the control. The implications of these findings for the development of prejudice-reduction strategies in children will be discussed.

    Rutland, A. and Abrams, D. and Levy, S. (2007) Introduction: Extending the conversation: Transdisciplinary approaches to social identity and intergroup attitudes in children and adolescents. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 31 (5). pp. 417 - 418. ISSN 0165-0254.

    Abstract

    Ali, then 14, and his younger brother fled Afghanistan after their parents were arrested and killed by the Taliban. They found refuge with a friend in Iran, but the anti-Afghan prejudice they encountered made them embark on their journey to the UK at the hands of people-smugglers. (The Guardian, London, 15th June 2007).

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    Rutland, A. and Brown, R. and Cameron, L. et al. (2007) Development of the positive-negative asymmetry effect: In-group exclusion norm as a mediator of children’s evaluations on negative attributes. European Journal of Social Psychology, 37 (1). pp. 171-190. ISSN 0046-2772.

    Abstract

    Two studies were conducted that go beyond previous research by examining when and why children might show intergroup bias in the attribution of positive, but not negative traits (PNAE: the positive-negative asymmetry effect, Mummendey & Otten, 1998). In Study 1 (n = 107) children completed a ‘mixed’ trait attribution task in a dichotomous group context. As predicted there was a developmental trend between 7 and 12 years of age in the PNAE. The seven year olds were the only age group not to show the effect. Study 1 also found a quadratic developmental trend in children’s national intergroup bias. Study 2 (n = 62) replicated the developmental path of the PNAE found in Study 1 using a wider age range of 6 to 16 years. This study used a ‘mixed’ list of traits which weren’t only antonyms and a procedure that made the positive and negative trait dimensions explicitly independent. Significantly, Study 2 found ingroup exclusion norm partially mediated the development of the PNAE. These findings support an account of the positive-negative asymmetry effect based upon normative processes.

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    Rutland, A. and Abrams, D. and Cameron, L. (2007) Children’s attitudes towards nonconformists: Intergroup relations and social exclusion in middle childhood. International Journal on School Disaffection, 4 (2). pp. 45-52. ISSN 1478-8497.

    Abstract

    Social exclusion is a serious social problem. Not "fitting in" at school may be an experience that can scar children psychologically for life. This is unsurprising since being part of the "in crowd" (i.e. accepted in-group members) is extremely important to children and adolescents. Being rejected by one's peers can cause an increase in antisocial behaviour, deviance, aggression, lowered intellectual performance, self-defeating behaviour and a series of other maladaptive responses. Thus, an important social task that children face is to work out when their own and others' behaviour contravenes social norms, and to decide how to respond when such norms are contravened. Namely, they need to form attitudes towards nonconformity. Societal and interpersonal responses to deviance may focus primarily on the "problem" child and his or her personal or family relationships. However, the authors argue that such focus may miss a significant dimension, namely that when and how a behaviour is defined as "deviant" is also part of a wider peer group process that defines and defends group norms and boundaries. In this paper, the authors consider how the intergroup context (i.e. perceived relations between one's own and other social groups) and socio-cognitive development (i.e. the emergence of social-cognitive abilities) affects school children's reactions to non-conformists in their peer group.

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    Cameron, L. and Rutland, A. and Brown, R.J. et al. (2006) Changing children’s intergroup attitudes towards refugees: Testing different models of extended contact. Child Development, 77 (5). pp. 1208-1219.

    Cameron, L. and Rutland, A. (2006) Extended contact through story reading in school: Reducing children’s prejudice towards the disabled. Journal of Social Issues, 62 (3). pp. 469-488. ISSN 0022-4537.

    Abstract

    The aim of this study was to develop and assess a prejudice-reduction intervention for young children based on a relatively recent psychological concept, extended contact. A number of extended contact interventions were tested based on different models of generalized intergroup contact. A 3 (type of extended contact: neutral, decategorization, and "intergroup") x 2 (time of interview: pre- vs. post-extended contacts) mixed design was used, with the latter variable being within participants. Non-disabled children (N = 67) aged 5-10 years took part in a 6-week intervention involving reading stories featuring disabled and non-disabled children in friendship contexts. The main dependent variables were children's attitudes and intended behavior toward non-disabled and disabled people. Results showed that extended contact led to increased positivity toward the disabled, and this was most pronounced in the intergroup-extended contact condition. These findings suggest that extended contact can provide a prejudice-reduction intervention tool that can be used with young children in contexts in which the opportunity for direct contact is low. The findings also add to the psychological literature, providing support of the Hewstone and Brown (1986) "intergroup" model in the context of extended contact.

    Kamau, C. and Rutland, A. (2005) The global ‘order’, socioeconomic status and the economics of African identity. African Identities, 3 (2). pp. 171-193. ISSN 1472-5843.

    Abstract

    Chronic elitism within Africa has created a two-tier milieu in which those Africans who are in a position to take advantage of the global economic system often do so at the expense of other Africans. The effects of social class and indicators of individual economic mobility on African identity were thus examined. 213 Kenyans participated in this questionnaire-based study for structural equation analysis. The main finding was that socioeconomic status (SES) positively predicts individual economic mobility, which then negatively influences African identity concepts, and that the significance of economic concepts for African identity depends on social class. For example, in the high SES group, materialism and cynicism about Africa’s future economic global prospects were found to have a negative effect on commitment to the national economy and African identity. The general implication is that anti-group economic behaviour in Africa (e.g. corruption, worker exploitation) is attributable to individual mobility, as well as to intra-national and global economic structures.

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    Rutland, A. and Cameron, L. and Bennett, L. et al. (2005) Interracial contact and racial constancy: A multi-site study of racial intergroup bias in 3-5 year old Anglo-British children. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 26 (6). pp. 699-713. ISSN 0193-3973.

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    Rutland, A. and Cameron, L. and Milne, A. et al. (2005) Social norms and self-presentation: Children’s implicit and explicit intergroup attitudes. Child Development, 76 (2). pp. 451-466. ISSN 0009-3920.

    Abstract

    Two studies examined whether social norms and children’s concern for self-presentation affects their intergroup attitudes. Study 1 examined racial intergroup attitudes and normative beliefs among children aged 6-16 years (n = 155). Accountability (i.e. public self-focus) was experimentally manipulated, and intergroup attitudes assessed using explicit and implicit measures. Study 2 (n = 134) replicated Study 1, focusing on national intergroup attitudes. Both studies showed that children below 10 years were externally motivated to inhibit their in-group bias under high public self-focus. Older children were internally motivated to suppress their bias since they showed implicit but not explicit bias. Study 1, in contrast to Study 2, showed that children with low norm internalization suppressed their out-group prejudice under high public self-focus.

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    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. and Cameron, L. (2003) The development of subjective group dynamics: Children’s judgments of normative and deviant in-group and out-group individuals. Child Development, 74 (6). pp. 1840-1856. ISSN 0009-3920.

    Abstract

    Abstract: A developmental model of subjective group dynamics suggests that social identity is sustained first by intergroup biases and later by intragroup biases. In this study 476 English children 5 to 11 years old evaluated the English and German soccer teams, and judged in-group or out-group members whose attitudes toward the teams was normative versus antinormative. Children of all ages expressed intergroup bias. Differential evaluation against in-group deviants and in favor of out-group deviants strengthened with age. Understanding of targets' relative acceptability (differential inclusion) among in-group and out-group members mediated the effects of age and intergroup bias on intragroup bias. Identification with the in-group moderated the effects only among older children.

    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. and Cameron, L. et al. (2003) The development of subjective group dynamics: When ingroup bias gets specific. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 21 (2). pp. 155-176. ISSN 0261-510X.

    Abstract

    Children aged 6-7 years and 10-11 years evaluated an in-group or out-group summer school and judged in-group or out-group members whose attitudes towards the summer schools were either normative or anti-normative. According to a subjective group dynamics model of intergroup processes, intergroup differentiation and intragroup differentiation co-occur to bolster the validity of in-group norms. The hypothesis that this process develops later than simple in-group bias was confirmed. All children expressed global in-group bias, but differential reactions to in-group and out-group deviants were stronger among older children. Moreover, the increasing relationship, with age, between in-group bias and evaluative preferences for in-group and out-group members that provide relative support to in-group norms, is mediated by the degree of perceptual differentiation among group members

    Finlay, W.M.L. and Rutland, A. and Shotton, J. (2003) 'They were brilliant, I don’t know what I would’ve done if they hadn’t been there': The group concept problem revisited. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 13 (4). pp. 300-313. ISSN 1052-9284.

    Abstract

    Abstract: This article concerns the group concept problem in people labelled as having learning disabilities, described in a series of papers by Gibbons and colleagues (Gibbons, 1981, 1985a, 1985b; Gibbons Gibbons, 1980; Gibbons & Kassin, 1982). We argue that the interpretations of these studies are questionable, and alternative explanations for the patterns of results found are possible. Examples from a study in which people with the label talked about particular others who also have the label are presented. In these examples, the category was not represented as homogeneous, relationships with others were valued, and a desire for distance was only found when participants talked about people who behaved aggressively. The findings are discussed with reference to the social model of disability.

    Crabtree, J. and Rutland, A. (2001) Self-evaluation and social comparison amongst adolescents with learning difficulties. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 11 (5). pp. 347-359. ISSN 1052-9284.

    Abstract

    Two studies are presented which examine self-evaluation in adolescents with learning difficulties and how these adolescents strategically protect their self-concept through the use of social comparison. Study one involved 145 adolescents with learning difficulties and the same number of non-disabled adolescents aged between 11 to 16 years. All adolescents completed Harter's 'Self Perception Profile for Children' (SPPC). No significant overall differences were found between the self-evaluations of the adolescents with learning difficulties and non-disabled adolescents. In addition, adolescents with learning difficulties strategically devalued less favourable comparison dimensions and valued more positive comparison attributes. Study two utilized a four condition between-groups design with a sample of 68 adolescents with learning difficulties. All participants completed the SPPC, but the availability of a social comparison group was systematically varied between conditions. The self-evaluations made by adolescents changed significantly when the social comparison group made available was altered. The findings are discussed with regard to their theoretical implications and in terms of inclusion policies for adolescents with learning difficulties.

    Carey, D.P. and Smith, G. and Smith, D.T. et al. (2001) Footedness in world soccer: An analysis of France '98. Journal of Sports Sciences, 19 (11). pp. 855-864. ISSN 0264-0414.

    Abstract

    Most football players and coaches agree that players are capable of learning to use both feet with equal frequency and efficiency - that is, become 'two-footed'. There is also some consensus that two-footed play is associated with skill in individual players. If these assumptions are true, then the world's elite football players should be substantially less 'one-footed' than the rest of the population. To examine this issue, we quantified the pattern of foot use in a sample of 236 players from 16 teams in the 1998 World Cup (France '98). Our findings indicate that World Cup players are as right-footed as the general population (similar to 79%). The remaining players were largely left-footed and as biased towards the use of their preferred foot as their right-footed counterparts. Very few players used each foot with equal frequency. Remarkably, both left-and right-footed players were as skilled, on average, with their non-preferred foot as they were with their preferred foot, on the rare occasions when they used it. Therefore, it is unlikely that infrequent use of one foot compared to the other foot can be accounted for by skill differences between the feet. Players were most asymmetrical for set pieces; nevertheless, first touches, passes, dribbles and tackles were rarely performed with the non-preferred foot as well. Our results support a biological model of foot preference and performance, as well as demonstrating the usefulness of soccer for studies of lateral asymmetries.

    Rutland, A. and Brown, R. (2001) Stereotypes as justifications for prior intergroup discrimination: Studies of Scottish national stereotyping. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31 (2). pp. 127-141. ISSN 0046-2772.

    Abstract

    Two studies provide support for the group-justification approach to stereotyping (Tajfel, 1981; Huici, 1984). This approach contends that stereotypes not only serve cognitive functions for individuals but also provide a means of justifying prior intergroup discrimination. Study I investigated whether the content of the Scottish ingroup stereotype changes due to the prior expression of intergroup discrimination. Scottish students were primed with either a 'differentiation' or a fairness' ingroup norm and completed two intergroup judgement tasks. Other Scottish students were primed only with a 'differentiation' ingroup norm, while a control group received no prime or judgement tasks. Only participants who experienced the 'differentiation' ingroup norm prime and the intergroup judgement tasks changed the content of their ingroup stereotype as an attempt to justify their discriminatory behaviour. Study 2 examined whether Scottish students would use both positive ingroup and negative outgroup stereotypes to rationalize intergroup discrimination. Students who experienced a 'differentiation' ingroup norm prime and intergroup judgement tasks showed the highest level of superior recall for positive ingroup and negative outgroup stereotype-consistent words compared to stereotype-neutral words. This finding suggests that the expression of intergroup discrimination activates the use of both positive ingroup and negative outgroup stereotypes. Together the findings of these two studies provide empirical support for the notion that stereotypes serve social as well as cognitive functions.

    Rutland, A. and Cinnirella, M. (2000) Context effects on Scottish national and European self-categorization: The importance of category accessibility, fragility and relations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 39. pp. 495-519. ISSN 0144-6665.

    Abstract

    Self-categorization theory (SCT) argues that self-categorization is inherently variable and tied to changes in the intergroup context (Oakes, Haslam, & Turner, 1994; Turner, Oakes, Haslam, & McGarty, 1994). Two studies were conducted to investigate SCT's claim that self-categorization is contest dependent (Study 1) and to identify factors that may affect the likelihood of context effects on self-categorization (Study 2). In the first study, Scottish students self-categorized themselves at the national and European levels of abstraction in four between-participant conditions: after stereotyping the English, after stereotyping the Germans, after stereotyping the Australians and in isolation. Context effects on self-categorization were found but only at the European level of abstraction. European identity decreased significantly with the inclusion of the English and Germans in the frame of reference, but remained stable with the Australians in the comparative context. These results suggest context effects on self-categorization are not necessarily straightforward and may depend upon important factors Like category accessibility, category fragility and the perceived psychological relations between categories. A questionnaire was distributed to a matched sample of Scottish students (Study 2) to investigate the importance of these factors. The findings provided empirical weight to our contention that category accessibility, category fragility and perceived psychological category relations are important to the self-categorization process.

Book Sections

    Cameron, L. and Rutland, A. (2008) Comparing theoretical models of prejudice reduction among different age groups. In: Levy, S.R. and Killen, M. Intergroup Attitudes and Relations in Childhood Through Adulthood: An Integrative Developmental and Social Psychological Perspective. Studies in Crime and Public Policy. Oxford University Press Inc, USA, United States. ISBN 9780195189742.

    Killen, M. and Rutland, A. (2008) Social exclusion in childhood and adolescence. In: Rubin, K.H. and Bukowski, W. and Laursen, B. Handbook of Peer Interactions, Relationships, and Groups. Social, emotional, and personality development in context. Guilford Publications, New York. ISBN 9781593854416.

    Abrams, D. and Rutland, A. (2008) The development of subjective group dynamics. In: Levy, S.R. and Killen, M. Intergroup Attitudes and Relations in Childhood through Adulthood. Studies in Crime and Public Policy. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 47-65. ISBN 9780195189742.

    Rutland, A. (2003) A Quasi-experimental Study of Stereotyping. In: Breakwell, G. Doing Social Psychology Research. Blackwell Publishing Ltd, Oxford. ISBN 9781405108119.

    Rutland, A. (2003) The development and self-regulation of intergroup attitudes in children. In: Bennett, Mark and Sani, Fabio The development of the social self. Psychology Press Ltd, East Sussex, pp. 247-266. ISBN 9781841692944.

    Rutland, A. (2001) Bias. In: Michie, J. Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences. Reader's Guides, 1. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, London. ISBN 9781579580919.

    Rutland, A. (2001) Identification. In: Michie, J. Reader's Guide to the Social Sciences. Reader's Guides. Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers, London. ISBN 9781579580919.

Monographs
Conference Items
Reviews
Total publications in KAR: 48 [See all in KAR]
Information obtained from the Kent Academic Repository. The University of Kent official repository of academic activity.
More information about the Kent Academic Repository

 

Current Research Students

Allard Feddes - Development of Children’s Intergroup Attitudes: The Role of Direct and Indirect Friendship. Second supervisor through the International Graduate College (IGC)

Philipp Jugert - The Development of Children's Cross-Ethnic Friendships: Interpersonal vs. Intergroup Determinants. Second supervisor through the International Graduate College (IGC)

Past research students

Dr Alison Benbow: Bi-cultural ethnic identification and acculturation in minority and majority children.

Dr Lindsey Cameron: Changing children’s intergroup attitudes towards stigmatised groups: Testing theoretically derived prejudice-reduction interventions.

Dr Sarah FitzRoy: Self-presentation: The development and inhibition of children's prejudice

Dr Caroline Kamau: Black identity: Content and strategies

2009

D Abrams and A Rutland
The British Academy
The role of group status and social norms in children's peer exclusion behaviour

£115,875

2006

2007

L Cameron, A Rutland and R Hossain
The British Academy
Changing children’s attitudes towards stigmatized groups: Testing different models of Extended Contact

£7,500

2004

2007

R Brown, A Rutland & C Watters
Economic and Social Research Council Programme
[This grant is split exactly in half between the Universities of Kent and Sussex. A. Rutland directs the research at Kent and R. Brown directs the research at Sussex].
Identities in transition: A longitudinal study of immigrant children', “Identities and Social Action”.

£275,000

June-Oct

2004

A Rutland
British Broadcasting Corporation
Ethnic identity and inter-racial contact: a national study of young children

£3,500

2003

2006

D Abrams and A Rutland
Economic and Social Research Council
Children’s evaluations of deviant ingroup and outgroup members

£106,000

2003

2005

A Rutland, R J Brown and L Cameron
Economic and Social Research Council
Evaluating interventions to reduce children's prejudice towards immigrants

£42,000

June-Dec

2003

D Abrams and A Rutland
The British Academy
The effect of accountability to the peer group on children’s judgements of deviant group members

£5,000

2001

2003

A Rutland
Economic and Social Research Council
The development and regulation of prejudice in children

£41,000

 

Lead editor - Special issue of the International Journal of Behavioral Development entitled ‘Social identity and intergroup attitudes in children and adolescents’. Other editors are Dominic Abrams & Sheri Levy.

Co-organiser (with Dominic Abrams) of Medium Size Meeting of the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology (EAESP) entitled ‘Social Developmental Perspectives on Intergroup Inclusion and Exclusion’, University of Kent, Canterbury, 18-22 July 2006. [please link to website – Gary says this is still there just needs to be made live again]

I collaborate with Professor Melanie Killen at the University of Maryland

Member of Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Seminars Competition Selection Panel (2007)

Member of the British Psychology Society Social Section Committee (1999-2002)

Full member of the European Association of Experimental Social Psychology.

Full member of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)

Full member of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)

Full member of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP)

 

School of Psychology
Keynes College
University of Kent
Canterbury, Kent
CT2 7NP
United Kingdom

Tel. +44 (0)1227 827652
Fax. +44 (0)1227 827030
Email: Adam Rutland

Office: Keynes A2.09

Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 2-3pm

 

School of Psychology - Keynes College, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NP

Tel: +44 (0)1227 824775; Fax: +44 (0)1227 827030 or Email the School

Last Updated: 19/12/2011