Prejudice - Theories and Definitions

Prejudice

Negative attitude toward individuals based on group membership; social orientation rather than personal dislike.

Prejudice vs. Stereotyping vs. Discrimination

Prejudice = affective (feelings)
→ Stereotypes = cognitive (beliefs)
→ Discrimination = behavioral (actions)

Competition Explanation (Realistic Conflict Theory)

Competing for scarce resources can produce intergroup hostility & prejudice.

Social Categorisation (“Us vs. Them”)

Sorting people into groups creates ingroup-outgroup distinctions; can occur with minimal cues.

Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner)

Part of self-concept derived from group membership and its evaluations.
→ People motivated to maintain a positive social identity.
→ Leads to ingroup favoritism and outgroup bias.

Interpersonal vs. Intergroup Behaviour

→ Interpersonal = individuals relate as individuals
→ Intergroup = individuals relate as group members, personal identities become secondary

Modern Prejudice

Prejudice persists but becomes subtle, indirect, situationally suppressed, due to social norms against explicit bias.

Aversive Racism

Conflict between egalitarian values and lingering negative historical associations; expressed through anxiety, avoidance, or overcompensation.

Implicit vs. Explicit Attitudes

→ Explicit = deliberate, self-reported
→ Implicit = automatic, spontaneous; may diverge from explicit reports.

Intergroup Contact Hypothesis (Allport, 1954)

→ Under certain conditions, contact reduces prejudice:

1. Equal status

2. Cooperation

3. Common goals

4. Institutional support

Common Ingroup Identity Model (Gaertner et al.)

Recategorization from “us vs. them” into a shared superordinate identity reduces prejudice.

Social Influence on Prejudice

Perceived ingroup norms can shift individual attitudes toward or away from prejudice.