Week 5: Discrimination Part 2

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping.

Prejudice

An affective component characterized by typically negative feelings towards a member of a group because of their group membership.

Stereotypes

A fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.

Discrimination

A behavioral component involving actual violence or action that has a negative impact on a minority group.

Aversive Discrimination

Subtle, often unintentional bias shown by individuals who see themselves as fair-minded but still act in ways that disadvantage minority groups, especially in ambiguous situations.

Microaggressions

Brief daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that communicate hostile or negative slights and insults towards minorities.

System 1 Thinking

An implicit mode of thinking that is automatic, quick, and outside conscious awareness.

System 2 Thinking

An explicit mode of thinking that is slow, effortful, calculating, and conscious.

Implicit Attitudes

Involuntary attitudes that are activated without awareness and may not align with declared beliefs.

Explicit Attitudes

Attitudes that are consciously endorsed, easily reported, and generated by System 2.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A tool designed to measure the strength of automatic associations between concepts, such as people and evaluations.

Ecological Validity

The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to real-world settings.

Correspondence Studies

Research method comparing the call-back rates for fictitious CVs that differ only by minority status to measure discrimination.

Define "Traditional Discrimination" and provide one characteristic. (2 marks)

Traditional discrimination refers to prejudice that is consciously acknowledged and openly expressed. It is characterized by intentional, overt hostility toward a specific group.

What is "Aversive (Modern) Discrimination"? (2 marks)

This refers to subtle, often unintentional bias held by individuals who see themselves as fair-minded. It typically manifests in ambiguous situations where the "right" thing to do is unclear.

Define the term "Microaggression. (2 marks)

Microaggressions are brief, everyday verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities that communicate hostile or derogatory slights toward minority groups, whether intentional or unintentional.

What is the difference between a "Microinsult" and a "Microinvalidation"?

A microinsult is a subtle communication that demeans a person’s racial heritage (e.g., rudeness), whereas a microinvalidation excludes or nullifies the experiential reality or feelings of a minority person.

Briefly describe "System 1" thinking in the Dual Process Model.

System 1 is the implicit mode of thinking; it operates automatically, quickly, and outside of conscious awareness with little to no voluntary control.

What is the "Halo Effect" in the context of a video interview?

The halo effect occurs when one positive trait (e.g., a professional background with books) leads a recruiter to judge the candidate's entire performance more favorably.

Explain the "Attitude-Behaviour Gap" and why self-report scales may fail to predict discrimination. (4 marks)

A: The attitude-behavior gap occurs when a person's stated beliefs do not match their actions. Self-reports often fail because:

1. Introspective access: People may hold "implicit" attitudes they are not consciously aware of.

2. Social Desirability Bias: People may hide their true attitudes to appear more liberal or fair-minded to others. Therefore, explicit measures (System 2) often fail to capture the automatic biases (System 1) that actually drive behavior.

Describe the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and how it measures bias. (4 marks)

A: The IAT, developed by Anthony Greenwald, measures the strength of associations between concepts (e.g., Black vs. White) and evaluations (e.g., Good vs. Bad). It relies on reaction times; the task is easier and faster when the categories being sorted together match the participant’s internal mental associations. If a person is faster to pair "White" with "Good" than "Black" with "Good," it indicates an implicit racial preference.

Discuss the findings of Di Stasio & Heath (2021) regarding CV correspondence studies in the UK. (4 marks)

A: The study used matched CVs differing only in name-implied ethnicity. While Western Europeans had to send 17% more CVs and Eastern Europeans 23% more than British-named applicants, the discrimination was most severe for Black African, Caribbean, and Muslim names. These candidates had to send approximately 93% more CVs to receive an interview, demonstrating significant ethnic penalties in the UK job market.

Using Rooth's research, explain how the IAT demonstrates "Ecological Validity." (4 marks)

A: Rooth’s study showed ecological validity by linking laboratory scores to real-world behavior.

1. Real-world: Recruiters were less likely to call back Muslim-named applicants (Correspondence study).

2. Lab: These same recruiters showed no bias on explicit Likert scales (System 2).

3. Link: However, their scores on the IAT (System 1) significantly predicted their actual hiring behavior, proving the IAT correlates with real-world discriminatory actions.

Explain the "Shooter Task" (Glaser & Knowles, 2008) and what it reveals about implicit bias. (4 marks)

A: The Shooter Task is a video game simulation used to test racial bias in split-second decisions. Researchers found that participants with a high "Weapons IAT" score (associating Black men with weapons) were significantly quicker to shoot Black suspects in the game. This suggests that implicit associations can lead to lethal consequences in high-pressure, ambiguous situations, such as policing.

Scenario Flashcards: Identify the Bias

Card 1: The Office Comment

• A manager tells a British-born Asian employee, "You speak such good English, you have no accent at all!" What type of microaggression is this?

Microinvalidation. It subtly negates the person's identity as a native British citizen by implying they are a "foreigner" who has mastered a second language.

Card 2: The Messy Room

• During a video interview, a recruiter notices the candidate has laundry piled on a chair in the background. They immediately decide the candidate is likely disorganized and lazy in their work. Which effect is this?

The Horn Effect. One specific negative trait (the laundry) has led the recruiter to make a global negative judgment about the candidate's professional competence.

Card 3: The Split-Second Reaction

• A person claims to be completely unbiased. However, while walking alone at night, they subconsciously tighten their grip on their bag when they see a group of minority teenagers approaching. Which "System" and "Attitude" is being triggered?

System 1 (Implicit Attitude). This is an involuntary, automatic reaction that does not align with their declared (Explicit) beliefs.

Card 4: The Work Assignment

• A team is discussing a difficult technical project. When the only woman in the room offers a valid critique, the leader ignores it. Later, a man says the exact same thing, and the leader praises the "great idea." What is the leader's action toward the woman?

• Microinvalidation. It nullifies the experiential reality and professional contribution of the minority group member in that space.

Card 5: The "Joke"

• A co-worker uses a racial slur in the breakroom but claims, "It's just a joke, don't be so sensitive." What specific type of microaggression is the slur itself?

Microassault. This is a deliberate, conscious verbal statement meant to hurt or demean the victim.