Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Self-distancing in Young Children
Published on: March 1, 2019
Parental and school effects on children's political attitudes in Northern Ireland
Maurice Stringer1, Paul Irwing, Melanie Giles
1University of Ulster, Coleraine, UK. maurice.stringer@tesco.net
Background:
Recent research has suggested that intergroup contacts with out-group members can both reduce prejudice and is associated with attitude change.
Aim:
This study extends prior work in Northern Ireland to examine parental and schooling effects on children's attitudes in a post-conflict environment.
Sample:
A large-scale cross-sectional survey of secondary schoolchildren (N=1,732) and their parents (N=800) in Northern Ireland assessed the effects of in-school and out-of-school intergroup contacts on intergroup attitudes.
Method:
Multivariate analysis of variance was employed to examine associations between children's political attitudes and parental, group membership, school, and contact variables.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that parental attitudes, group membership, and cross-group contacts explain the majority of variance (58%) in children's political attitudes. The findings provide a comprehensive account of the factors that influence children's political attitudes within a deeply divided society and offer teachers and educationalists a way to improve community relations in a segregated society.
Related Concept Videos
Parenting Styles
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Social Foundations of Self II: The Generalized Other
Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
