The factors involved in assuming the role of members from different social groups were studied in six- and eight-year-old white Anglo-American children. The role taking task involved rating various ethnic members in terms of their desirability as uncles or nephews for the role person. A cognitive-developmental factor was manipulated by choosing two age groups of subjects around the decentration stage of cognitive development. Social factors were introduced by having the children take the roles of persons who varied along three social dimensions--ethnicity, age, and language. The ethnicity variables was the major focus for the role taking, and accurate role taking was operationalized as showing a preference for kin from the same ethnic groups as the role person. Results indicate that both six- and eight-year-olds were accurate in taking the role of their own and a liked ethnic group, but inaccurate when taking the role of a disliked group. Age differences in various roles taken did not disrupt this accuracy, but language differences did, especially when the white role person spoke a non-English language. Difficulties in role taking are discussed in terms of two disruptive processes: egocentric tendencies and lack of perceptual differentiation. (Author)