lecture 4- bias and discrimination

What is prejudice?

An adverse opinion or learning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge has been acquired.

What is a stereotype?

A standardised mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgement.

• if our person/role schema is based on widely held social assumptions about them due to group identity= stereotype

• Can be true or false- sweeping and generalised

• At their best they allow us to function effectively in complex social world

• Struggle to process info that contrasts with the stereotype we hold about a person e.g. a shy celebrity.

What is the primacy effect?

Influences how we respond to another person- we put more weight on the first information about them that we receive.

Appearance is often the first information.

What is the halo effect?

We assume physically attractive people are good- both more skilled and morally superior.

What is a schema?

• a set of thoughts, beliefs, attitudes that allow us to quickly make sense of a person, situation, event or place on the basis of limited information.

• Certain cues activate a schema, the schema fills in the missing details.

• ‘Filing cabinet of the mind’

• Allows us to function in complex world.

• Resistant to change.

What are the types of schema?

Some relate to oneself:

• scripts e.g. how to behave in restaurant

• Self schemas e.g. actual self, ideal self, ought self

Some relate to other people:

• person schemas: schematic impression of a specific person e.g. best friend, celebrity

• Role schema e.g. a lecturer or pilot: impression of how they should behave

What are the effects of prejudice?

• social stigma- developed with negative stereotypes

• Devaluation of a social identity

• Can be visible or hidden

• Increased prejudice against ‘controllable’ stigma

• Allows for downward comparisons that may boost self esteem

• Justifies unjust power systems

What is the snowball effect in terms of stereotypes and prejudice?

• self fulfilling prophecy

• If you have a stereotype directed toward someone e.g. negative, if will affect how you act towards them, which will affect how they act towards you e.g. dislike you more.

• Rosenthal & Jacobsen: based on a questionnaire, they told teachers that 5 of their students would start doing well at school. Teachers developed a prejudice and believed the students would do well. They started subconsciously paying more attention to them which caused to actually do well.

• Good evidence for gender, less good for race, poor for socio-economic status.

What is attributional ambiguity?

• overt discrimination replaced by subtle discrimination- requiring implicit measures

• Contrast between hostile and benevolent sexism

• Attempts to redress discrimination and change institutional cultures- reverse/positive discrimination

• Aversive racism- anxiety and apathy

• All leads to attributional ambiguity- suspicion and mistrust in relationships

• Online discrimination is often still overt

What is authoritarian personality?

• arose from consideration of Holocaust

• Harsh parenting leads to ambivalence towards parents (love/hate) leading to authoritarian personality.

• Excessive respect for authority, obsession with status, displaces anger onto weaker others, intolerance of uncertainty, difficulties with intimacy.

What is social dominance theory?

• social dominance orientation= acceptance of myths that justify unequal status quo

• People at top defend the status quo so they maintain privileged status.

• Defence of status quo to avoid uncertainty anxiety even if it results in personal marginalisation. Relates to internalised racism.

What is the social identity explanation prejudice?

• we categorise ourselves and others

• We seek positive differentiation to enhance our self esteem.

• Patterns of bias become established as defining norms.

• Escape from a low status personal identity to a constructed high status social identity set.

What is the pernicious nature of prejudice?

• necessity of categorisation and schema formation for normal human functioning.

• Power of ingroup bias for raising self esteem through adoption of a positive social identity.

• Makes prejudice hard to combat.

What is femininity?

• a social construction of the quintessential other constructed by men.

• Women are the ‘second sex’- defined in relation to men due to male power.

• Norms include- lack of education, female passivity, dependence on men

• Was culturally defined by men so women became a foil before which men appeared active, capable, necessary and strong

• Women also presented as overly emotional- anger or pain was dismissed as hysteria.

What is optimal distinctiveness?

• we seek to be distinct from and superior to outgroups to enhance our self esteem.

• Achieved by positive reflection on the norms of in group. E.g. assertions of men as strong, knowledgeable etc.

• control of the outgroup allows for the norms of the outgroup to be defined by the ingroup (men) to enhance the ingroup further by comparison. E.g. assertions of women as weak, needy etc.

What is structural misogyny?

• established norms of male empowerment and female marginalisation maintain male control over society and norms of the female identity.

• This become ‘normal and common sense’

• Men love their wives and daughter, sons their mothers, but all within a social order that marginalises women e.g. should not be educated.

What is orientalism?

• the orient is a semi-mythical construct- antithesis of the West

• Mixture of racist and romanticised stereotypes have formed- orientals are lazy, suspicious, gullible, untruthful, weak, barbaric.

• Allows for a contrasting presentation of westerners as hard working, fair, open, honest, civilised and capable.

• Norms were established and maintained by colonial rule, academic studies and media depictions.

• Also created worldview that justifies western colonialism, imperialism, and political interference.

What has recent psychology studies revealed about racism?

• black students are more likely to be expelled from school than white, because white students are perceived as more compliant.

• White home owners perceived as cleaner and responsible than black leading to disparities in perceived property value.

• Sanctioning of racial harassment on twitter bu in group white interlocutor was more effective at reducing harassment than sanctions from a black interlocutor.

What is structural racism?

• de humanisation- e.g. 18th century language in slave trade

• Infra-humanisation- legacy of lessening the humanity of black people.

Healthcare stats:

• POC in US had lower life expectancy and higher blood pressure.

• Black children less likely to be classified as requiring emergency care.

• Black people aged 51-55 more likely to suffer from chronic disease

• Black mothers have increased likelihood of complications and mortality during pregnancy.