Doll Test

Ugly Doll and Darker Skin00:04:24

When asked to identify the 'ugly child,' one child explains, 'cause he's like um a lot darker,' directly linking skin tone to negative attributes.

Attributing Intelligence and Meanness00:03:44

Children are asked to identify the 'smart child,' 'mean child,' 'good child,' and 'bad child,' with explanations often linked to skin color or perceived traits rather than any actual behavior.

Adult Preferences and Child Perception00:03:13

Children are questioned about which skin color adults 'like' and 'don't like,' consistently associating 'dark' with adult dislike, reflecting societal biases they perceive.

Statistical Preference for White Dolls00:02:15

The video highlights that 15 out of 20 children preferred the white doll, illustrating a prevalent bias.

Initial Doll Questions00:00:00

Children are asked to identify the 'black doll,' 'white doll,' 'pretty doll,' 'nice doll,' and 'bad doll.' Many children associate positive traits with the white doll and negative traits with the black doll.

Identifying with Dolls00:00:56

Children are asked which doll looks most like them and which doll they would like to play with, often choosing the white doll even if it doesn't match their own skin tone.

Reasoning for Preferences00:01:32

When asked why a doll is 'nice' or 'bad,' children frequently explain their choices based on skin color, stating the white doll is nice 'because she's white' and the black doll is bad 'because black.'

More Preferences and Racial Bias00:07:19

Further examples show children associating 'bad' and 'ugly' with black dolls, and 'dumb' with black or dark skin, reinforcing the patterns of racial bias demonstrated in the earlier parts of the test.

Adult Preferences and Child Perception (Repetition)00:07:40

The test re-emphasizes asking children to identify dolls with skin colors 'most adults like' and 'most adults don't like,' with similar biased results.