Promoting positive intergroup attitudes using persona dolls: A vicarious contact intervention program in Israeli kindergartens

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a vicarious contact intervention program for improving knowledge and attitudes Jewish-Israeli secular religious children regarding their ingroup three outgroups: secular/religious Jews, Ethiopian-descendant Arabs. One hundred nine kindergartners participated in four-week intervention, which experimenters introduced to them four persona dolls representing different groups. Accompanied by stories, were exposed dolls’ individual group characteristics, positive encounters between dolls. A pre- post-test battery assessed intervention’s effects on children’s intergroup attitudes. Findings revealed an increase groups, improvements towards Arabs, both willingness sit closer children. These findings highlight potential indirect reducing bias young living multicultural conflict-ridden societies.