Assessing Ethnic Prejudice Moral Disengagement and Intercultural Sensitivity in Middle Childhood: Development and Pilot Use of an AI-Supported Narrative Instrument

Abstract

Middle childhood represents a crucial developmental stage in which ethnic biases often emerge and solidify, potentially leading to peer exclusion or harassment. Recent research highlights the role of moral disengagement in ethnic-related harassment and identifies intercultural competences as crucial for counteracting prejudicial peer behaviours. However, studies examining the interplay of these constructs in elementary school children remain scarce. A developmentally appropriate, AI-supported instrument was designed to assess ethnic prejudice, moral disengagement, and intercultural sensitivity among children aged 9–12 years. One-shot prompting technique was applied, using a previously validated scenario-based task with experts' instructions guiding the LLM's behaviour explicitly, to achieve clarity and focus. The instrument was piloted with 232 students. Participants generally perceived the task as engaging and thought-provoking, reporting self-reflection about their interactions with culturally diverse peers. Beyond its research utility, the tool holds promise as a sociopedagogical resource to foster intercultural understanding and inclusive teaching practices in elementary education.