Children with Williams syndrome do not know racial stereotypes by Zuzana Zelenakova

Williams syndrome is caused by the absence of about 26 genes in one of the human chromosomes. People with this disorder can be recognized by their distinctive appearance, including low nasal bridge and facial features reminding of an elf. In addition, they are unusually friendly and cheerful people. They have no restraints in dealing with strangers, whom they treat as you would probably treat a close friend. And now, new foundings about people suffering from this disorder reached the public. According to Andreia Santos from the University of Heidelberg they seem to lack racial bias. Ususally, in every society there are certain racial prejudices or inclination towards the p! articular ethnic group a person is part of. Children tend to express such an ethnic inclination as soon as the age of three. Andreia Santos claims Williams children are the first group of people in the world that does not follow this social pattern. However, not all are of the same opinion. Santos compared a group of twenty children with Williams syndrome from the age of seven to sixteen and twenty normal white children. Children from the latter group showed a tendency to view people with light skin more favourably, as in comparison with dark skinned people. 83 percent of their responses were in accordance with their preference of light skinned people. As far as Williams syndrome children are concerned, only 64 percent of their responses were like that. But that could be only random occurrence. When it comes to gender stereotypes, they follow them just as normal people do. “I think that it’s problematic to make strong conclusions on the basis of null findings, ! particularly with a sample as small as 20 WS children,” ! said Rob ert Livingston from Northwestern University. Well, whether the WS children lack racial bias altogether or not, it is clear that they are not influenced by it to such an extent as normal children.

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by Zuzana Zelenakova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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