Social Cognition: Prejudice and Discrimination

Prejudice

a negative emotional attitude held towards a member of a specific social group

Discrimination

unequal treatment of people who should have the same rights as others

Old Fashioned Prejudice

a form of prejudice in which members of the majority group openly reject minority group members and their views towards the minority group are obvious and recognisable to

others

Modern Prejudice

a form of prejudice which is more subtle, hidden and expressed in ways more likely to be accepted within the majority group

Explicit Prejudice

a form of prejudice that is consciously held and usually deliberately thought about, it is typically openly reported by the person holding it (in control of the person holding them)

implicit Prejudice

a form of prejudice that is unconsciously held so the individual is usually unaware of it (not in control of the person holding them)

Direct Discrimination

when someone treats another person unfavourably because of a personal characteristic protected by the law

Indirect Discrimination

when treating everyone the same way disadvantages someone because of a personal characteristic

Difference between prejudice and discrimination

Prejudice is an attitude and discrimination is a behaviour arising from prejudice

Methods to reduce prejudice

Intergroup contact

Superordinate goals

Equity of status

Cognitive intervention