The role of race in perceptions of child credibility

With the increased number of children providing testimony in Court and the growth of visible minorities in Canada, it is important to understand the role of race in perceptions of child credibility. In this study, children from three racial backgrounds (Caucasian, Asian, and First Nations) participated in a play session and were interviewed about their experience on videotape. Caucasian and Asian adults watched the videotaped interview and rated the credibility of the child along a number of dimensions and completed a measure of covert racism. Results show that Caucasian adults judged Caucasian children to be more honest than Asian children, and more cognitively competent than both Asian and First Nations children, whereas Asian adults rated all children as equally credible. Ratings of covert racism did not account for any of the variability in credibility scores. Results and potential future directions are discussed.