Prejudice and Social Identity Theory

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to prejudice, stereotypes, social identity theory, and their implications.

Prejudice

A negative evaluation of a group and its individual members.

Stereotype

A belief about the personal attributes of a group of people, which can be positive or negative.

Discrimination

Unjustified negative behavior toward a group or its members.

Ingroup

A group of people who share a sense of belonging and a feeling of common identity.

Outgroup

A group that people perceive as distinctively different from or apart from their ingroup.

Ingroup Bias

The tendency to favor one's own group over others.

Realistic Group Conflict Theory

A theory that prejudice arises from competition between groups for scarce resources.

Social Identity Theory

A theory proposing that people favor ingroups over outgroups to enhance their self-esteem.

BIRG (Bask in Reflected Glory)

A way of boosting self-esteem by identifying oneself with the accomplishments of fellow ingroup members.

Minimal Group Paradigm

An experimental approach in which people are categorized into groups based on arbitrary criteria, with no prior history or conflict.

Cognitive Dissonance

The psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.

Socialization

The processes by which people learn the norms, rules, and information of a culture or group.

Self-Esteem

An individual's overall subjective evaluation of their own worth.