Laura Elenbaas
Biographic Data
| ID | 4460060 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Laura Elenbaas |
| GIVEN NAMES | Laura |
| FAMILY NAME | Elenbaas |
| SIGNATURE | ELENBAAS L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Rochester |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4921-251X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 82 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 22 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views on social mobility and inequality in the U.K. and the U.S
Drawing on social identity theory (SIT), this study explored social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views about social mobility and inequality among socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse adults in the U.K. ( n = 457) and the U.S. ( n = 595). U.K. participants evidenced greater consensus about the social class groups present in their society than did U.S. participants, but lower, working, middle, and upper class were co…
Direct and indirect intergroup contact are related to American children's attitudes about immigrant groups
This study drew on intergroup contact theory to investigate relations between both direct and indirect intergroup contact with immigrants and self-identified American children's (ages: 8 to 12 years; N = 379, 53 % girls, 51 % white) attitudes and intended behavior towards immigrant peers, assessing the role of indirect contact in this context for the first time. Children who experienced more positive indirect contact (e.g., overheard conversation…
The ball is in his court. It’s up to him”
Meritocracy-the belief that society rewards individual ability, motivation, and hard work-is foundational to many Western nations but the processes by which meritocratic beliefs are communicated to youth is not well understood. The present study used a master narrative (i.e., dominant cultural stories) framework to explore parents' communication of meritocratic messages. Data came from a larger qualitative study of family social class socializati…
Mean, Pushy, Reckless, and Different
Despite the benefits to children, intergroup peer interactions make some parents uncomfortable. Drawing on social identity theory and an integrated stereotyping framework, this study investigated how US parents’ ( N = 569) discomfort with their children's potential intergroup interactions might differ by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and social class (higher‐, middle‐, or lower subjective social status [SSS]). Acro…
Honestly, they are just like us”
Children and adolescents benefit from positive intergroup peer interactions, but they are unlikely to have many opportunities for these interactions if their parents are uncomfortable with them. Drawing primarily on social identity theory (SIT), this study investigated how U.S. parents' ( N = 569) comfort with their children's potential intergroup peer interactions (a) differed by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and …
Eight‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's emerging subjective social status identity and intergroup attitudes
Drawing on social identity development theory, this study investigated a socioeconomically diverse sample of 8‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's ( N = 93) subjective social status (SSS), how they determined and identified with their SSS, and whether their own SSS related to their social preferences for individuals from other SSS groups. Children primarily referenced material resources, lifestyles, money, and relative comparisons when explaining how t…
Someone who knows and someone I trust
This study investigated 8- to 14-year-old U.S. children's (N = 202, 47% girls, and 49% White) evaluations of statements reflecting individual and structural attributions for the causes of racial inequality between Black and White people in the United States, the epistemic characteristics they used to seek out more information on this topic, and who they believed reflected these characteristics. With age, participants increasingly endorsed stateme…
Testing the effectiveness of the Developing Inclusive Youth program
The Developing Inclusive Youth program is a classroom-based, individually administered video tool that depicts peer-based social and racial exclusion, combined with teacher-led discussions. A multisite randomized control trial was implemented with 983 participants (502 females; 58.5% White, 41.5% Ethnic/racial minority; Mage = 9.64 years) in 48 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classrooms across six schools. Children in the program were more likel…
“This kid looks like he has everything”
This study investigated 3- to 11-year-old US children's (N = 348) perceptions of access to resources, social group preferences, and resource distribution decisions and reasoning when hypothetical peers differed in social class (poor or rich) and race (Black or White). Data were collected in 2019. The sample reflected the region where data were collected in terms of gender (44% girls, 30% boys, 1% another identity) and race and ethnicity (46% Whit…
Developmental Perspectives on Social Inequalities and Human Rights
Social inequalities and human rights are inevitably linked to children’s and adolescents’ healthy development. Children who experience structural and interpersonal inequalities in access to resources and opportunities based on their gender, race, ethnicity, or other group categories are denied the right to fair treatment, which contributes to stress, anxiety, and depression. We assert that investigating the psychological perspectives that childre…
It’s All in the Family
Distributive justice in society and among peers
This study examined how children's and adolescents' beliefs about the distribution of wealth in society and the fairness of economic systems informed their behavior, judgments, and reasoning about access to opportunities among peers. The sample included 136 8- to 14-year-olds (47% girls, 60% White, majority middle- to higher-socioeconomic status [SES]) in the United States. Relative to older children, early adolescents viewed economic systems as …
Giving priority to race or wealth in peer group contexts involving social inclusion
This study investigated children's and adolescents' predictions regarding intergroup inclusion in contexts where peers differed on two dimensions of group membership: race and wealth. African American and European American participants ( N = 153; age range: 8-14 years, M age = 11.46 years) made predictions about whether afterschool clubs would prefer to include a peer based on race or wealth and reported what they personally thought should happen…
A Developmental-Science Perspective on Social Inequality
Many people believe in equality of opportunity but overlook and minimize the structural factors that shape social inequalities in the United States and around the world, such as systematic exclusion (e.g., educational, occupational) based on group membership (e.g., gender, race, socioeconomic status). As a result, social inequalities persist and place marginalized social groups at elevated risk for negative emotional, learning, and health outcome…
Do Children Distinguish Between Resource Inequalities With Individual Versus Structural Origins
This study investigated children's ability to distinguish between resource inequalities with individual versus structural origins. Children (3- to 8-years-old; N = 93) were presented with resource inequalities based on either recipients’ merit (individual factor) or gender (structural factor). Children were assessed on their expectations for others’ allocations, own allocations, reasoning, and evaluations of others’ allocations. Children perpetua…
Children's and Adolescents’ Evaluations of Intergroup Exclusion in Interracial and Interwealth Peer Contexts
Children and adolescents (N = 153, ages 8–14 years, Mage = 11.46 years) predicted and evaluated peer exclusion in interwealth (high-wealth and low-wealth) and interracial (African American and European American) contexts. With age, participants increasingly expected high-wealth groups to be more exclusive than low-wealth groups, regardless of their depicted race. Furthermore, children evaluated interwealth exclusion less negatively than interraci…
Perceptions of economic inequality are related to children’s judgments about access to opportunities
This study examined how children's perceptions of economic inequalities impacted their moral judgments about access to opportunities. The sample included ethnically diverse 8- to 14-year-olds (N = 267; M = 11.61 years, SD = 1.88) of middle- to upper-middle-income backgrounds. The larger the economic inequality in access to opportunities children perceived, the more negatively they evaluated granting access to a specific opportunity (an educationa…
Expectations for cross-ethnic inclusion by Asian American children and adolescents
Asian American youth’s inclusion decisions were investigated in cross-ethnic peer contexts (Asian and non-Asian). Ten-, 13-, and 16-year-old participants ( N = 134), enrolled in U.S. schools, decided whether to include a same-ethnic peer with different interests or a different-ethnic peer with similar interests. Findings showed that with age, participants more frequently included a peer who shared interests even when this peer was not of the same…
Young Children’s Ability to Recognize and Challenge Unfair Treatment of Others in Group Contexts
Although human societies provide protection from harm and enable the construction of collaborative and mutually beneficial social structures, they also pave the way for social hierarchies that deny equal treatment to certain portions of the population. Moral judgments about fairness and equality, as well as stereotypes, biases, and prejudice, emerge as early as 3 and 4 years of age. Investigating young children’s responses to the unfair treatment…
Children’s recognition of fairness and others’ welfare in a resource allocation task
The present study investigated age-related changes regarding children's (N = 136) conceptions of fairness and others' welfare in a merit-based resource allocation paradigm. To test whether children at 3- to 5-years-old and 6- to 8-years-old took others' welfare into account when dividing resources, in addition to merit and equality concerns, children were asked to allocate, judge, and reason about allocations of necessary (needed to avoid harm) a…
Children rectify inequalities for disadvantaged groups
Children's decisions regarding the allocation of societal resources in the context of preexisting inequalities were investigated. African American and European American children ages 5 to 6 years (n = 91) and 10 to 11 years (n = 94) judged the acceptability of a medical resource inequality on the basis of race, allocated medical supplies, evaluated different resource allocation strategies, and completed a measure of status awareness based on race…
Balancing the Fair Treatment of Others while Preserving Group Identity and Autonomy
Social exclusion and inclusion from groups, as well as the distribution of resources, are fundamental aspects of social life, and serve as sources of conflicts that bear on issues of fairness and equality, beginning in childhood. For the most part, research on social exclusion and allocation of resources has not focused on the issue of group membership. Yet, social exclusion from groups and the denial of resources reflect societal issues pertaini…
Children’s recognition of fairness and others’ welfare in a resource allocation task
The present study investigated age-related changes regarding children's (N = 136) conceptions of fairness and others' welfare in a merit-based resource allocation paradigm. To test whether children at 3- to 5-years-old and 6- to 8-years-old took others' welfare into account when dividing resources, in addition to merit and equality concerns, children were asked to allocate, judge, and reason about allocations of necessary (needed to avoid harm) a…
Children rectify inequalities for disadvantaged groups
Children's decisions regarding the allocation of societal resources in the context of preexisting inequalities were investigated. African American and European American children ages 5 to 6 years (n = 91) and 10 to 11 years (n = 94) judged the acceptability of a medical resource inequality on the basis of race, allocated medical supplies, evaluated different resource allocation strategies, and completed a measure of status awareness based on race…
Perceptions of economic inequality are related to children’s judgments about access to opportunities
This study examined how children's perceptions of economic inequalities impacted their moral judgments about access to opportunities. The sample included ethnically diverse 8- to 14-year-olds (N = 267; M = 11.61 years, SD = 1.88) of middle- to upper-middle-income backgrounds. The larger the economic inequality in access to opportunities children perceived, the more negatively they evaluated granting access to a specific opportunity (an educationa…
It’s All in the Family
Distributive justice in society and among peers
This study examined how children's and adolescents' beliefs about the distribution of wealth in society and the fairness of economic systems informed their behavior, judgments, and reasoning about access to opportunities among peers. The sample included 136 8- to 14-year-olds (47% girls, 60% White, majority middle- to higher-socioeconomic status [SES]) in the United States. Relative to older children, early adolescents viewed economic systems as …
Giving priority to race or wealth in peer group contexts involving social inclusion
This study investigated children's and adolescents' predictions regarding intergroup inclusion in contexts where peers differed on two dimensions of group membership: race and wealth. African American and European American participants ( N = 153; age range: 8-14 years, M age = 11.46 years) made predictions about whether afterschool clubs would prefer to include a peer based on race or wealth and reported what they personally thought should happen…
Expectations for cross-ethnic inclusion by Asian American children and adolescents
Asian American youth’s inclusion decisions were investigated in cross-ethnic peer contexts (Asian and non-Asian). Ten-, 13-, and 16-year-old participants ( N = 134), enrolled in U.S. schools, decided whether to include a same-ethnic peer with different interests or a different-ethnic peer with similar interests. Findings showed that with age, participants more frequently included a peer who shared interests even when this peer was not of the same…
Eight‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's emerging subjective social status identity and intergroup attitudes
Drawing on social identity development theory, this study investigated a socioeconomically diverse sample of 8‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's ( N = 93) subjective social status (SSS), how they determined and identified with their SSS, and whether their own SSS related to their social preferences for individuals from other SSS groups. Children primarily referenced material resources, lifestyles, money, and relative comparisons when explaining how t…
Honestly, they are just like us”
Children and adolescents benefit from positive intergroup peer interactions, but they are unlikely to have many opportunities for these interactions if their parents are uncomfortable with them. Drawing primarily on social identity theory (SIT), this study investigated how U.S. parents' ( N = 569) comfort with their children's potential intergroup peer interactions (a) differed by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and …
Someone who knows and someone I trust
This study investigated 8- to 14-year-old U.S. children's (N = 202, 47% girls, and 49% White) evaluations of statements reflecting individual and structural attributions for the causes of racial inequality between Black and White people in the United States, the epistemic characteristics they used to seek out more information on this topic, and who they believed reflected these characteristics. With age, participants increasingly endorsed stateme…
Balancing the Fair Treatment of Others while Preserving Group Identity and Autonomy
Social exclusion and inclusion from groups, as well as the distribution of resources, are fundamental aspects of social life, and serve as sources of conflicts that bear on issues of fairness and equality, beginning in childhood. For the most part, research on social exclusion and allocation of resources has not focused on the issue of group membership. Yet, social exclusion from groups and the denial of resources reflect societal issues pertaini…
Children’s recognition of fairness and others’ welfare in a resource allocation task
The present study investigated age-related changes regarding children's (N = 136) conceptions of fairness and others' welfare in a merit-based resource allocation paradigm. To test whether children at 3- to 5-years-old and 6- to 8-years-old took others' welfare into account when dividing resources, in addition to merit and equality concerns, children were asked to allocate, judge, and reason about allocations of necessary (needed to avoid harm) a…
Children rectify inequalities for disadvantaged groups
Children's decisions regarding the allocation of societal resources in the context of preexisting inequalities were investigated. African American and European American children ages 5 to 6 years (n = 91) and 10 to 11 years (n = 94) judged the acceptability of a medical resource inequality on the basis of race, allocated medical supplies, evaluated different resource allocation strategies, and completed a measure of status awareness based on race…
Young Children’s Ability to Recognize and Challenge Unfair Treatment of Others in Group Contexts
Although human societies provide protection from harm and enable the construction of collaborative and mutually beneficial social structures, they also pave the way for social hierarchies that deny equal treatment to certain portions of the population. Moral judgments about fairness and equality, as well as stereotypes, biases, and prejudice, emerge as early as 3 and 4 years of age. Investigating young children’s responses to the unfair treatment…
Perceptions of economic inequality are related to children’s judgments about access to opportunities
This study examined how children's perceptions of economic inequalities impacted their moral judgments about access to opportunities. The sample included ethnically diverse 8- to 14-year-olds (N = 267; M = 11.61 years, SD = 1.88) of middle- to upper-middle-income backgrounds. The larger the economic inequality in access to opportunities children perceived, the more negatively they evaluated granting access to a specific opportunity (an educationa…
Expectations for cross-ethnic inclusion by Asian American children and adolescents
Asian American youth’s inclusion decisions were investigated in cross-ethnic peer contexts (Asian and non-Asian). Ten-, 13-, and 16-year-old participants ( N = 134), enrolled in U.S. schools, decided whether to include a same-ethnic peer with different interests or a different-ethnic peer with similar interests. Findings showed that with age, participants more frequently included a peer who shared interests even when this peer was not of the same…
A Developmental-Science Perspective on Social Inequality
Many people believe in equality of opportunity but overlook and minimize the structural factors that shape social inequalities in the United States and around the world, such as systematic exclusion (e.g., educational, occupational) based on group membership (e.g., gender, race, socioeconomic status). As a result, social inequalities persist and place marginalized social groups at elevated risk for negative emotional, learning, and health outcome…
Do Children Distinguish Between Resource Inequalities With Individual Versus Structural Origins
This study investigated children's ability to distinguish between resource inequalities with individual versus structural origins. Children (3- to 8-years-old; N = 93) were presented with resource inequalities based on either recipients’ merit (individual factor) or gender (structural factor). Children were assessed on their expectations for others’ allocations, own allocations, reasoning, and evaluations of others’ allocations. Children perpetua…
Children's and Adolescents’ Evaluations of Intergroup Exclusion in Interracial and Interwealth Peer Contexts
Children and adolescents (N = 153, ages 8–14 years, Mage = 11.46 years) predicted and evaluated peer exclusion in interwealth (high-wealth and low-wealth) and interracial (African American and European American) contexts. With age, participants increasingly expected high-wealth groups to be more exclusive than low-wealth groups, regardless of their depicted race. Furthermore, children evaluated interwealth exclusion less negatively than interraci…
It’s All in the Family
Distributive justice in society and among peers
This study examined how children's and adolescents' beliefs about the distribution of wealth in society and the fairness of economic systems informed their behavior, judgments, and reasoning about access to opportunities among peers. The sample included 136 8- to 14-year-olds (47% girls, 60% White, majority middle- to higher-socioeconomic status [SES]) in the United States. Relative to older children, early adolescents viewed economic systems as …
Giving priority to race or wealth in peer group contexts involving social inclusion
This study investigated children's and adolescents' predictions regarding intergroup inclusion in contexts where peers differed on two dimensions of group membership: race and wealth. African American and European American participants ( N = 153; age range: 8-14 years, M age = 11.46 years) made predictions about whether afterschool clubs would prefer to include a peer based on race or wealth and reported what they personally thought should happen…
Testing the effectiveness of the Developing Inclusive Youth program
The Developing Inclusive Youth program is a classroom-based, individually administered video tool that depicts peer-based social and racial exclusion, combined with teacher-led discussions. A multisite randomized control trial was implemented with 983 participants (502 females; 58.5% White, 41.5% Ethnic/racial minority; Mage = 9.64 years) in 48 third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classrooms across six schools. Children in the program were more likel…
“This kid looks like he has everything”
This study investigated 3- to 11-year-old US children's (N = 348) perceptions of access to resources, social group preferences, and resource distribution decisions and reasoning when hypothetical peers differed in social class (poor or rich) and race (Black or White). Data were collected in 2019. The sample reflected the region where data were collected in terms of gender (44% girls, 30% boys, 1% another identity) and race and ethnicity (46% Whit…
Developmental Perspectives on Social Inequalities and Human Rights
Social inequalities and human rights are inevitably linked to children’s and adolescents’ healthy development. Children who experience structural and interpersonal inequalities in access to resources and opportunities based on their gender, race, ethnicity, or other group categories are denied the right to fair treatment, which contributes to stress, anxiety, and depression. We assert that investigating the psychological perspectives that childre…
Eight‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's emerging subjective social status identity and intergroup attitudes
Drawing on social identity development theory, this study investigated a socioeconomically diverse sample of 8‐ to 12‐year‐old US children's ( N = 93) subjective social status (SSS), how they determined and identified with their SSS, and whether their own SSS related to their social preferences for individuals from other SSS groups. Children primarily referenced material resources, lifestyles, money, and relative comparisons when explaining how t…
Someone who knows and someone I trust
This study investigated 8- to 14-year-old U.S. children's (N = 202, 47% girls, and 49% White) evaluations of statements reflecting individual and structural attributions for the causes of racial inequality between Black and White people in the United States, the epistemic characteristics they used to seek out more information on this topic, and who they believed reflected these characteristics. With age, participants increasingly endorsed stateme…
Honestly, they are just like us”
Children and adolescents benefit from positive intergroup peer interactions, but they are unlikely to have many opportunities for these interactions if their parents are uncomfortable with them. Drawing primarily on social identity theory (SIT), this study investigated how U.S. parents' ( N = 569) comfort with their children's potential intergroup peer interactions (a) differed by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and …
Social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views on social mobility and inequality in the U.K. and the U.S
Drawing on social identity theory (SIT), this study explored social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views about social mobility and inequality among socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse adults in the U.K. ( n = 457) and the U.S. ( n = 595). U.K. participants evidenced greater consensus about the social class groups present in their society than did U.S. participants, but lower, working, middle, and upper class were co…
Direct and indirect intergroup contact are related to American children's attitudes about immigrant groups
This study drew on intergroup contact theory to investigate relations between both direct and indirect intergroup contact with immigrants and self-identified American children's (ages: 8 to 12 years; N = 379, 53 % girls, 51 % white) attitudes and intended behavior towards immigrant peers, assessing the role of indirect contact in this context for the first time. Children who experienced more positive indirect contact (e.g., overheard conversation…
The ball is in his court. It’s up to him”
Meritocracy-the belief that society rewards individual ability, motivation, and hard work-is foundational to many Western nations but the processes by which meritocratic beliefs are communicated to youth is not well understood. The present study used a master narrative (i.e., dominant cultural stories) framework to explore parents' communication of meritocratic messages. Data came from a larger qualitative study of family social class socializati…
Mean, Pushy, Reckless, and Different
Despite the benefits to children, intergroup peer interactions make some parents uncomfortable. Drawing on social identity theory and an integrated stereotyping framework, this study investigated how US parents’ ( N = 569) discomfort with their children's potential intergroup interactions might differ by child and peer group gender (boy, girl), race (Black, White), and social class (higher‐, middle‐, or lower subjective social status [SSS]). Acro…
Psychology (20 works) · Social Psychology (17 works) · Developmental psychology (16 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (15 works) · Political science (10 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Inequality (8 works) · Cultural Differences and Values (7 works) · Peer group (7 works)