The Doll Experiment

 

Vocabulary

doll	pretty	point (3)
nice	smart	look like
ugly	respect	pick up (3)
touch	prefer	play with
dark	race (2)	mean (2)
skin	scared	show (2)
trust	hit (2)	play (2)
ear	dumb	make fun of

 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

Teacher One: Which doll is the Black doll?
Black Girl One: This one (points to black doll).
Teacher One: And which doll is the White doll?
Black Girl One: That one (points to white doll).
Teacher One: Which doll is the pretty doll?
Black Girl One: (points to white doll).

Teacher One: Which doll is the nice doll?
Black Girl One: (Points to white doll).
Teacher One: Which doll is the bad doll?
Black Girl One: (Points to black doll).

Teacher One: Which doll is the nice doll?
Black Boy One: (Points to white doll).
Teacher One: Which doll is the bad doll?
Black Girl One: (Points to black doll).
Teacher One: And why is that doll pretty?
Black Girl One: Because it’s white and has two eyes.
Teacher One: Which doll is the ugly doll?
Black Girl One: (Points to black doll).
Teacher One: Why is that doll ugly?
Black Girl One: Because he’s black.
Teacher One: Which doll looks most like you?
Black Girl One: Like me?
Teacher One: Yeah. Which doll looks like you?
Black Girl One: (Points to black doll). That one.

 

 

Teacher Two: Show me the doll that you like best or that you’d like to play with.
Black Girl Two: Picks up white doll.
Black Girl Three: (Picks up white doll).
Black Girl Four: This one. (Touches white doll).
Black Girl Five: I like that one (points to white doll).

Teacher Two: And can you show me the doll that is the nice one.
Black Boy Two: Picks up white doll.
Teacher Two: And why is that the nice doll?
Black Boy Two: He’s white.
Teacher Two: And can you show me the doll that looks bad.
Black Girl Two: (Picks up black doll).
Teacher Two: And why does that doll look bad?
Black Girl Two: Because it’s black.
Teacher Two: And why do you think that the nice doll?
Black Girl Two: Because she’s white.
Teacher Two: And can you give me the doll that looks like you?
Black Girl Two: (Gives the black doll).

Fifteen out of the twenty one children preferred the white doll.

 

 

Journalist: What color do adults don’t like?
Black Girl Six: (Points to black picture person).
Journalist: Why do you think adults don’t like that color?
Black Girl Six: It’s dark.
Journalist: You think adults don’t like dark?
Black Girl Six: Adults don’t like dark color.

Journalist: And which one is the ugly child?
Black Girl Six: (Points to black picture).

 

 

Teacher Three: Show me the smart child.
White Girl One: (Points to white picture person).
Teacher Three: Okay, show me the mean child.
White Girl One: (Points to the black picture person).
Teacher Three: Okay, why is she the mean child?
White Girl One: Because she’s very dark.
Teacher Three: Show me the good child.
White Girl One: (Points to white picture person).
Teacher Three: Why is she the good child?
White Girl One: Because she looks like me.
Teacher Three: Show me the bad child.
White Girl One: (Points to black person picture).
Teacher Three: Why is she the bad child?
White Girl One: She’s a lot darker.
Teacher Three: Show me the ugly child.
White Girl One: (Points to the black picture).
Teacher Three: Why is she the ugly child?
White Girl One: Because she’s a lot darker.

 

 

Teacher Four: Which doll is pretty?
Latino Boy One: (Points to white doll).
Teacher Four: Which doll is ugly?
Latino Boy One: (Points to black doll).
Teacher Four: Which doll is the bad one?
Latina Girl One: Neither one.

Teacher Four: Which doll is bad?
White Latino Boy: This one (Points to black doll).
Teacher Four: Why is that?
White Latino Boy: Because, well, this one is dark skinned and this one is white.

Teacher Four: Which doll is ugly?
Latina Girl Two: (Points to black doll).
Teacher Four: Why?
Latina Girl Two: Because I don’t like the color brown.

Teacher Four: Which doll do you like best?
Latino Boy Two: This one (Points to the white doll).
Teacher Four: Which doll is the good one?
Latino Boy Two: This one (Points to the white doll).
Teacher Four: Why?
Latino Boy Two: Because I’m not scared of whiter people. Because I trust them more. But others, like this other one, I don’t trust them as much.

Teacher Four: Which is the bad doll?
Latino Boy Three: (Points to black doll).
Teacher Four: Why?
Latino Boy Three: I don’t know.

Teacher Four: Which is the ugly doll?
Latina Girl Three: This one (points to the black doll). Well, it’s because, I think it’s a little — how should I say this — darker and it doesn’t look too white, and doesn’t have much respect.

Teacher Four: Why is the white doll good?
White Latino Boy: Because his eyes are blue, and his whole body is white.

Teacher Four: Which doll is ugly?
Latino Boy Three: This one (points to black doll).
Teacher Four: Why?
Latino Boy Three: Because it’s black.

Teacher Four: Why is that doll bad?
Latino Boy Four: Because he’s brown.
Teacher Four: And why is it bad to be brown?
Latino Boy Four: Because he hits others.

Teacher Four: Which doll do you like best?
Latina Girl Four: White. Because his eyes are pretty, and his race too.

Teacher Four: Which doll looks like you?
Latina Girl One: Well, I’m a little like this one (points to black doll). Because I’m a little whiter on my legs and back. But my face and arms are darker.

Teacher Four: Which doll looks more like you?
Latino Boy Two: Umm . . . this one (points to white doll).
Teacher Four: How?
Latino Boy Two: Well, his, his ears. Yes, and that’s it.

 

 

Teacher Five: Why is she the bad child?
White Girl Two: Because she’s black.
Teacher Five: And why is he the dumb child?
White Boy One: Because she has dark brown skin.
Teacher Five: Why is she (picture of white person) the bad child?
Black Girl Seven: Because she makes fun of everyone’s skin color.

Teacher Five: Show me the child who has the skin color most adults like?
White Boy Two: (Points to picture of white child).

Teacher Five: And show me the child with the skin color most adults don’t like?
White Girl Two: (Points to picture of black child).
Teacher Five: Show me the dumb child?
White Girl Three: Dumb child? (points to black child).
Teacher Five: Okay, why is she the dumb child?
White Girl Three: Because she has black skin?

Teacher Five: Show me the mean child.
White Boy Two: (Points to picture of black child).
Teacher Five: Why is he the mean child?
White Boy Two: Because she’s brown.
Teacher Five: Show me the bad child.
White Boy Two: (Points to picture of black child).
Teacher Five: Why is he the bad child?
White Boy Two: Because he’s black.
Teacher Five: Show me the ugly child.
White Boy Two: (Points to picture of black child).
Teacher Five: Why is she the ugly child?
White Boy Two: Because she’s brown-black.
Teacher Five: Show me the child who has the skin color most adults like.
White Boy Two: (Points to picture of white child).
Teacher Five: And show me the child who has the skin color most adults don’t like.
White Boy Two: (Points to picture of black child).

 

 

Questions

1. The teachers or experimenters used photos of real people. True or false?

2. What happened when the teacher asked the students which was the pretty doll, and which wasn’t the pretty doll?

3. What can you say about positive attributes (smart, good, likability) versus negative attributes (dumb, bad, unlikable)?

4. White children liked the white doll and white cartoon characters, while Black children preferred the black doll and cartoon characters. Is this right or wrong?

5. Do the Latin American children judge the dolls differently from North Americans?

6. The children base their attributes the dolls’ and cartoons’ facial features and expressions. Is this correct or incorrect?

7. Did all the children give the same type of answers?

 

A. If this experiment were given to children your (former) school, what might the outcome be?

B. In your society, what is considered to be “beautiful” or “ideal”?

C. Are there certain stereotypes about certain ethnic groups?

D. How do children and adults learn these thought patterns?

E. This was a very politically incorrect and controversial experiment. What do you think?

F. What might happen to these children when they become adults?