Chapter 7 Prejudice: Foundations, Causes, Effects & Remedies

Prejudice: Unavoidable Factors Group Formation Ethnocentrism Stereotyping

Group Formation Fosters survival, social identity –“we” part of the self-concept Social Identity theory – We like our own groups better to lift our own self- esteem. –Taijfel (1971) “over- and underestimators” In-group bias – give own group most rewards –Bias stronger when in minority and strongly identify with group.

Group Formation Outgroup bias –Downgrading others not in your group –Also applies to norms and customs, see behavior or ways of other groups as strange or even wrong People with diverse group memberships exhibit less outgroup bias.

Ethnocentrism By-product of social/cultural upbringing Rules define culture & expected behavior Need to honor them in order to successfully adapt and to preserve culture Contributes to the successful function of a society

Inflexible Ethnocentrism Judging others as wrong, simply because they are different Flexible ethnocentrism is less judgmental.

Becoming More Flexibly Ethnocentric Key lies in the awareness of our own ethnocentrism. –1. Become consciously aware of own rules & how they affect perceptions & judgments of others. –2. Recognize that other cultures have their own norms. –3. Try to understand other cultures’ norms. –4. Use all this to develop empathy.

Stereotypes A generalization about a group of people that assumes members share common characteristics. Mental shortcuts that prepare us to interact Often based on a “grain of truth” Often exaggerated caricatures May become self-fulfilling prophicies

Social Contributors to Stereotypes Confirmation bias Fundamental attribution error Outgroup homogeneity effect

The Tendency to Stereotype Personal variables –Need for structure & predictability –Powerful position Cognitive efficiency? Less to lose? Situational variables –Good mood –Emotionally aroused –Mentally distracted

Prejudice & Discrimination Prejudice is pre-judgment –It may be positive or negative –It is usually considered to be negative –It is often based on stereotypes Factors it is often based on include; –Age, sex, race, ethnic identity, weight, religion, disability, sexual orientation

Prejudice It often becomes more pronounced when the dominant group begins to feel threatened by an influx of immigrants. Public racial prejudice has declined in the United States. Has prejudice gone “underground”?

Prejudice Realistic group conflict theory. –People become prejudiced against those with whom they must compete for scarce resources such as jobs.

Prejudice Robbers’ Cave Experiment (Sherif, 1966) –22 white, middle-class, 11-year old boys –2-week summer camp –Eagles vs. Rattlers –Mutual competition, vandalism, food fights, name-calling, etc. –Sherif brought the group together through a common goal

Factors in Developing Prejudice Social learning from family & friends Relative deprivation – perceiving that others are better off than we are Emotions (threat) Discrimination (unfair treatment)

Effects of Prejudice & Discrimination Lowered self-esteem –Crocker et al. (1991) Targets of discrimination feel less personal control Stereotype threat (Steele, 1997) –Anxiety from the threat inteferes with performance –May begin to avoid situation(s)

Overcoming Prejudice Superordinate Goal –Robbers’ Cave Jigsaw Classroom (Aronson, ) Mindfulness