Doll-choice tests prove to be an imprecise measure of racial identity.

Evidence

Many similar investigations followed the doll studies conducted in the 1940s. The collective findings suggest that choosing dolls of different colors may be an imprecise measure of racial identity or awareness. In general, they show a tendency toward within-race preferences that is importantly influenced by the race of the experimenter, whether a child is in a multicultural or desegregated learning environment, or has been involved in race-pride programs. Thus, the intropunitive defenses outlined by Allport and implied in the Brown decision have not withstood the test of time. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 1062

Categorization

• XREF: The finding that experimenter race and the learning environment shape doll choices echoes the observer-expectancy and demand-characteristics literature in social psychology.