Chapter 9: Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, as outlined in Chapter 9.

Stereotype

An oversimplified belief describing all members of a certain group.

Prejudice

Emotion-centered judgments or evaluations about people.

Discrimination

Behaviors toward people because of their perceived membership in a group.

Negative stereotype

A belief that a group possesses a bad trait.

Positive stereotype

Beliefs in a complimentary direction toward a group.

Stereotype threat

Anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype, leading to poor performance.

Realistic conflict theory

Prejudice results from justifications to determine that our ingroup 'deserves' limited resources.

Scapegoat theory

Prejudice results from blaming an outgroup for our frustrations.

Superordinate goals

Objectives that cannot be achieved without cooperation of an outgroup.

Contact hypothesis

Prejudice is based on misunderstanding and can be reduced through interaction.

social identity theory

The theory that a person's sense of who they are is based on their group memberships, leading to in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination.

minimal group paradigm

An experimental technique that demonstrates how easily individuals can form groups based on minimal criteria, leading to in-group bias.

kernel of truth theory

The idea that stereotypes may be based on some degree of reality, containing elements of truth in certain situations.

Social Role theory

The theory that gender stereotypes arise from the perceived social roles that men and women occupy, influencing expectations and behaviors within different contexts.

realistic conflict theory

The theory that limited resources lead to conflict between groups, fostering prejudice and discrimination as groups compete for those resources.

Frustration-aggression theory

The theory that frustration can lead to aggressive behavior, suggesting that blocked goals may result in hostility towards scapegoats.

Scapegoat theory

The theory that individuals or groups are unfairly blamed for problems or negative outcomes, often as a way to relieve frustration or justify prejudice and discrimination.

The
Stereotype Content Model

framework that categorizes stereotypes along two dimensions: warmth and competence, explaining how these perceptions affect prejudice and discrimination.

The Contact Hypothesis and
the Robbers Cave Experiment

the idea that increased contact between groups can reduce prejudice, demonstrated by a study where conflicting groups developed friendships through cooperative tasks.

Superordinate Goals

common objectives that require cooperation between conflicting groups, which can reduce intergroup tension and promote harmony.