Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes experiment

Jane Elliott's Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes experiment was a social-psychology activity designed to demonstrate how prejudice and discrimination can be learned and perpetuated. In a classroom setting, she divided students based on eye color—blue or brown—and assigned positive traits to one group while favoring the other. Throughout the day, the favored group received privileges, while the other faced bias and exclusion. The exercise highlighted how arbitrary characteristics can influence perceptions, behavior, and social dynamics, fostering empathy and awareness about racism and discrimination. It remains a powerful illustration of the ease with which societal biases can be created and maintained.