The purpose of this study was to measure social causality (skin-color attributions) of white children on a Skin-Color Probe, and to explore the developmental concomitants related to children's explanations of skin color. Seventy-two white children, including equal numbers of males and females, were divided into three age groupings (27-59 months, 60-87 months, and 88-115 months). Equal numbers of boys and girls in each age grouping were assigned to two female examiners: one black, the other white. Each child was individually examined on four developmental measures (Clay Tasks, Origin of Night Interview, Picture Task and Skin-Color Probe), and on one skin-color attitude measure (The Preschool Racial Attitude Measure II). It was hypothesized that: (1) the explanations children give for skin-color are influenced by their level of cognitive development; (2) skin-color attributions (social causality) correlated with other classes of attributions (physical conservation, physical causality, and social identity); (3) acquisition of physical concepts precedes acquisition of social concepts and (4) children's skin-color preferences are influenced by their level of cognitive development. Results indicated that the explanations and preferences of children for skin-color were related to their developmental level, that these perceptions and concepts were correlated with perceptions and concepts in other areas, and that operational thinking was achieved more rapidly in relation to physical phenomena than social phenomena. In addition, a significant curvilinear relationship between age and skin-color bias, significant age by cognitive level interaction, and a significant race of tester by cognitive level interactions were found. (Author/MP)