Stereotyping & Prejudice II

Stereotyping and Prejudice

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

• Definition: A psychological measure used to assess implicit attitudes and biases by analyzing reaction times to different stimuli.
• Key Pairings in IAT:
  • Stereotypic: White/Good, Black/Bad
  • Counterstereotypic: Black/Good, White/Bad

How the IAT Works

• Reaction Time: Measures the speed of responses to stereotypic versus counterstereotypic pairings; faster reactions indicate stronger associations.
• Error Rates: Generally higher for counterstereotypic pairings (Black/Good) compared to stereotypic (White/Good).
• Counterbalancing: Designed to prevent order effects by randomizing the pairing sequence for different participants.

Insights on Implicit Measures

• Implicit measures often reveal greater biases than explicit self-reports, prompting questions about awareness of implicit attitudes.
• Implicit vs. Explicit Prejudice: Surveys suggest that implicit measures can indicate biases that individuals may be unaware of or afraid to report.

Awareness of Implicit Attitudes

• A study found a significant correlation between participants' predictions about their IAT results and their actual scores, indicating self-awareness of biases.

Limitations of the IAT

• Reliability Concerns: Test-retest reliability is modest (r < 0.5), indicating potential inaccuracies at the individual level but possible usefulness in aggregate assessments.
• Not Diagnostic: While it can compare groups, it may not effectively identify individual levels of prejudice.

Exploring Implicit Bias Evidence

• Communication Study (Dovidio, Kawakami, & Gaertner, 2002): Investigated how implicit and explicit prejudices manifest during interactions.
  • Ratings of friendliness varied based on implicit and explicit attitudes, emphasizing non-verbal versus verbal behaviors.

Other Types of Bias

• ### Sexism
  • Sexism includes both benevolent and hostile attitudes, which can coexist and reinforce one another, complicating the perception of women's roles.

Ambivalent Sexism

• Definitions:
  • Benevolent Sexism: Positive beliefs about women's moral superiority, necessitating protection.
  • Hostile Sexism: Negative beliefs, focusing on disliking women in power.
• Insights: These attitudes can coexist, leading to complex stereotypes where positive and negative perceptions support one another, particularly around traditional gender roles.

Consequences of Bias for Targets

• Bias as a Stressor

  • Experiencing bias can threaten basic social motives (belonging, esteem, understanding) leading to chronic stress which adversely affects health.

• Discrimination and Well-being

  • Chronic exposure to discrimination correlates with poorer mental and physical health and engagement in unhealthy coping behaviors.

• ### Stereotype Threat

  • Definition: The risk of confirming negative stereotypes impairs performance due to anxiety and cognitive resource depletion.
  • Effects observed across various groups, such as African American students and women in math/science tasks.

Tackling Prejudice

• ### Contact Hypothesis
  • Proposes that interracial contact can reduce prejudice when characterized by positive interactions without competition for resources.
  • Evidence Base: 94% of studies support that positive contact diminishes prejudice.

Interventions for Reducing Implicit Prejudice

• Short-term Approaches: Include vivid counterstereotypic scenarios, priming multiculturalism, and practicing IAT with counter-stereotypic examples.
• Long-term Solutions: Established through meaningful interactions like attending classes on prejudice or living with roommates from different backgrounds.

Diversity Ideologies in Reducing Inequality

• Colorblindness: Advocates for treating everyone the same without acknowledgment of differences; faces criticism for ignoring group-specific experiences.
• Multiculturalism: Celebrates and acknowledges differences; may be met with fears of stereotyping but tends to foster engagement among minority workers.

Conclusion

• Understanding bias necessitates examining its impact from both the perceiver's and target's perspectives. The complexity of these attitudes underlines the importance of a nuanced approach in studying and mitigating prejudice.