CHAPTER 9: Prejudice

Prejudice

a preconceived negative judgment of a group and its individual members

stereotype

A belief about the personal attributes of a group of people. Stereotypes are sometimes overgeneralized, inaccurate, and resistant to new information (and sometimes accurate).

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

social dominance orientation

a motivation to have one's group be dominant over other social groups

authoritarian personality

a personality that is predisposed to favor obedience to authority and intolerance of outgroups and those lower in status

realistic group conflict theory

the theory that prejudice arises from competition between groups for scarce resources

social identity

the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships

ingroup

"Us", people who share a sense of belonging and a feeling of common identity

outgroup

"Them" - a group that people perceive as distinctively different from or apart from their ingroup

ingroup bias

the tendency to favor one's own group

outgroup homogeneity effect

Perception of outgroup members as more similar to one another than are ingroup members. Thus "they are alike; we are diverse."

own-race bias

the tendency for people to more accurately recognize faces of their own race

group-serving bias

explaining away outgroup members' positive behaviors; also attributing negative behaviors to their dispositions (while excusing such behavior by one's own group)

just-world phenomenon

the tendency of people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Subtyping

accommodating individuals who deviate from one's stereotype by thinking of them as "exceptions to the rule"

Subgrouping

accommodating individuals who deviate from one's stereotype by forming a new stereotype about this subset of the group

Stereotype theat

A disruptive concern, when facing a negative stereotype that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype. Unlike self-fulfilling prophecies that hammer ones reputation into one's self concept, the stereotype threat situations have immediate effects

- apprehension that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype, and diminished performance as a result

What is prejudice?

Prejudice is a multicomponent phenomenon:

-COGNITIVE: Stereotypes

-EMOTIONAL: prejudice

-BEHAVIORAL: Discrimination

what is the nature and power of prejudice?

-prejudice: preconceived negative attitudes

-stereotypes: inaccurate or accurate beliefs about a group that overgeneralize

-discrimination: unjustified negative behavior

Prejudice can be:

-unconscious and subtle

-conscious and overt

Prejudice was widely accepted, then not so much, but still exists today

What are the social sources of prejudice?

- The social situation breeds and maintains prejudice in several ways.

- A group that enjoys social and economic superiority will often use prejudicial beliefs to justify its privileged position.

- Children are also brought up in ways that foster or reduce prejudice. Those with authoritarian personalities are said to be socialized into obedience and

intolerance.

- The family, religious communities, and the broader society can sustain or reduce prejudices.

- Social institutions (government, schools, the media) also support prejudice, sometimes through overt policies and sometimes through unintentional inertia.

What are the motivational sources of prejudice?

-frustration breeds hostility

-the scapegoat theory: people want and use scapegoats to vent frustrations (THEM vs US)

-viewing other groups as inferior to their own groups

-ingroup favoritism: heightened by threat to self image and the need to belong

What are the cognitive sources of prejudice?

-we stereotype to simplify the world

-distinctive events (a minority person commiting an unusual crime) helps create an illusory correlation between people and behavior

-just world phenomenon: people get what they deserve and deserve what they get (victim blaming)

What are the consequences of prejudice?

consequences are most severe when:

-prejudices are strongly believed

-when judging unknown individuals

-stereotypes can perpetuate themselves and resist change

-stereotypes can create their own realities: self fulfilling prophecies

Can we reduce prejudice?

-intergroup contact

-cooperation

-shared goals

-inclusivity

-personalize the others