The Roots of Prejudice
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 Ψ  Social Sources of Prejudice:    
 
 •  Unequal status & prejudice    
 
 •  The self-fulfilling prophecy: where a belief (often false) is accepted as truth, & in stating it, becomes true.     
 
 •  Stereotype threat is "the threat of being viewed through the lens of a negative stereotype, or the fear of doing 
 something that would inadvertently confirm that stereotype," such as the stereotype that women perform poorly in math.
 Steele explains that some students try to escape stereotype threat by disidentifying with the part of life in which the 
 stereotype originates, such as race or ethnic identities. The article defines what an academic community can do to 
 reduce or completely eliminate stereotype threat - increase the degree of racial trust, or the assurance of racial fairness 
 in assessment. From: "Thin Ice: 'Stereotype Threat' and Black College Students," by Claude M. Steele, The Atlantic
 Monthly http://www.theatlantic. com/issues/99aug/9908stereotype.htm
 
 Ψ  Social Identity    
 
 •  Social Identity Theory: proposes that the membership of social groups & categories forms an important part of our 
 self concept.    
 
 •  We categorize all groups. 
     •  We identify (associate) with ingroups. 
      •  We compare our social group with outgroups.     
      
      •  Ingroup bias is the preferential treatment people give to whom they perceive to be members of their own groups.    
      
      •  Conformity: Once established, prejudice is maintained largely by inertia. If prejudice is socially accepted, most will 
      follow the path of least resistance & conform to fashion. If prejudice is nor deeply ingrained in personality, then as 
      fashions change & new norms evolve, prejudice will diminish.
      
Ψ  Emotional Sources of Prejudice:    
      
      •  Frustration & aggression:        
      
           •  The Scapegoat Theory: When problems occur, people do not like to blame themselves. They will thus actively seek 
      scapegoats onto whom they can displace their aggression. Scapegoats may be out-group individuals or even entire 
      groups. Powerless people who cannot easily resist will often become victims of scapegoatimg. Scapegoating increases 
      when people are frustrated & seeking an outlet for their anger.        
      
          •  The Realistic Group Conflict Theory: When there are limited resources, then this leads to conflict, prejudice & 
      discrimination between groups who seek that common resource    
      
      •  Personality dynamics 
  
        •  Need for status, self-regard, & belonging 
         •  The Authoritarian Personality 
          •  Ethnocentricity: Holding the belief that one's own cultural tradition or racial group is superior to all others. 
          
Ψ  Cognitive Sources of Prejudice    

•  Categorization: We stereotype when    

    •  Pressed for time 
     •  Preoccupied 
      •  Tired 
       •  Emotionally aroused 
        •  Too young to appreciate diversity     
        
•  Categorization: Perceived similarities & differences    

    •  Outgroup homogeneity effect: The tendency to perceive out-group members as "they are all alike" compared to the
     in-group is called the out-group homogeneity effect. We do see diversity in our own group.    
     
•  Distinctiveness: Distinctive people & vivid or extreme occurrences often capture attention & distort judgments. 
This sometimes breeds stereotypes.    

•  Attribution: The just-world phenomenon, refers to the tendency for people to believe that the world is "just" & so therefore 
people "get what they deserve." It wrongly colors our impression of "victims" of any sort.                                             
   
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                                                                    Social Psychology
                                                                       Robert C. Gates