Which of the following did the doll experiment not suggest about emotional development in children?

• A. Children's choices of dolls are unaffected by cultural and social factors.
• B. The experiment revealed internalized biases in children's emotional reactions.
• C. Societal attitudes can influence children's emotional responses toward different dolls.
• D. Children inherently prefer dolls that resemble their own racial background.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the context of the doll experiment, which is a classic psychological study often used to explore children's racial preferences and emotional development. The experiment typically involves presenting children with dolls of different racial backgrounds and observing their choices and reactions.
2. Step 2: Identify the key findings of the experiment: it showed that children often display preferences for dolls that resemble their own racial group, indicating an internalization of societal attitudes and biases.
3. Step 3: Analyze each statement in the problem to determine which one contradicts the experiment's findings. The statements about internalized biases, societal influence, and inherent preferences align with the experiment's conclusions.
4. Step 4: Recognize that the statement 'Children's choices of dolls are unaffected by cultural and social factors' contradicts the experiment's evidence, as the study demonstrated that cultural and social factors do influence children's choices.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement about choices being unaffected by cultural and social factors is the one the doll experiment did not suggest, making it the correct answer to the question.