Subtle, blatant prejudice and attachment: A study in adolescent age

The aim of this study is to investigate associations between prejudice, both subtle and blatant, and attachment style during adolescence. Prejudice levels were assessed using the Pettigrew and Meertens (1995) Blatant and Subtle Prejudice Scale in its Italian version (Arcuri, Boca, 1996). Attachment internal working models were assessed by the Klagsbrun and Bowlby (1976) Separation Anxiety Test (SAT) in its modified version by Attili (2001). Participants were 198 Italian students (54 boys, 144 girls), ranging from 13 to19 years of age, and attending ethnically mixed high schools in Rome. Results show that secure adolescents reveal less both blatant and subtle prejudice levels than do insecure ones. Moreover, in contrast with secure subjects, ambivalent, avoidant and disorganized adolescents show higher levels of subtle prejudice; avoidant subjects show the highest levels of blatant prejudice.