Prejudice-Chapter 11

Minimal group paradigm

An experimental paradigm in which researchers create groups based on arbitrary and seemingly meaningless criteria and then examine how the members of these "minimal groups" are inclined to behave toward one another. Defined under motivational perspective Ex. Tajfel Study Tajfel created groups based on arbitrary and seemingly meaningless criteria and then examined how the members of these "minimal groups" behave toward one another. The participants first perform a rather trivial task and are then divided into two groups, ostensibly on the basis of their responses. In one such task, for example, participants estimate the number of dots projected briefly on a screen. Some participants are told they belong to a group of "overestimators," and others that they belong to a group of "underestimators." In reality, the participants are randomly assigned to the groups, and they learn only that they are assigned to a particular group; they never learn who else is in their group or who is in the other group. Thus, what it means to be part of a "group" is boiled down to the bare minimum. Participants after learning group membership, asked to assign points, redeemable for money to pairs of fellow participants (pairs made of one from in group and on from out group) ..in some minimal group studies, participants can choose from array of points pair distributions for the pairs Table 11.1. Someone who chooses 13 and 13 interested in equality, someone who chooses 9 for ingroup and 21 for outgroup interested in awarding max amount of points, someone who chooses 18 ingroup and 3 outgroup interested in maximizing relative advantage of ingroup Most more interested in maximizing relative gain for members on ingroup more than absolute gain of ingroup (award 2 to ingroup and 1 to outgroup rather than 3 to ingroup and 4 to outgroup) Extraordinary because participants don't know who comprises groups and the points awarded never for themselves and basis for establishing group trivial yet participants favor minimal ingroup

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Anthony Greenwald and Mazarin Banaji (1995) technique for revealing subtle, non-conscious prejudices, even among those who sincerely believe they are bias free Description: series of words and pictures are presented on a computer screen, and the respondent presses a key with the left hand if the picture of word conforms to another rule

Stereotypes

Beliefs that certain attributes are characteristic of members of particular groups A stereotype can be negative or positive, true or false. Whether true or false, stereotyping is a way of categorizing people. It involves thinking about a person not as an individual but rather as a member of a group, projecting what you think or know about a group onto your expectations of that person. Belief component of negative intergroup relationships

ethnocentrism

Glorifying one's own group while vilifying other groups

Interesting

People tend to value toughness in a leader during periods of conflict with other groups People prefer more feminized face in time of peace and more masculine face in time of war. Preference for female leaders when experiencing a conflict within their group, but preferred male leaders when experiencing conflict with another group

basking in reflected glory

Taking pride in the accomplishments of other people in one's group, such as when sports fans identify with a winning team. "we" won, whereas "they" lost: incentive to dientify with groups when doing well but to distance self when they lose

Three Perspectives that shed light on prejudice?

The economic perspective identifies the roots of much intergroup hostility in competing interests than can set groups apart from one another. The motivational perspective emphasizes the psychological needs that lead to intergroup conflict. The cognitive perspective traces the origin of stereotyping to the same cognitive processes that enable people to categorize, say items of furniture into distinct classes of chairs and couches, and tables. This perspective takes into account the frequent conflict between people's consciously held beliefs and values and their quick, reflexive reactions to members of specific racial, ethnic, occupational, sexual orientation, or other demographic groups.

social identity theory

The idea that a person's self-concept and self-esteem derive not only from personal identity and accomplishments but also from the status and accomplishments of the various groups to which the person belongs. Defined under motivational perspective Boosting status of ingroup tempting because self-esteem based in part on status of various groups to which we belong feel better about group, feel better about self and criticism of group seen as criticism of self if highly identified with group denigrating members of outgroups can bolster self-esteem

Ribbers Cave Experiment

Twenty-two fifth-grade boys were taken to Robbers Cave State Park in southeastern Oklahoma Boys had signed up for a two-and-a-half-week page 406 summer camp experience that, unbeknownst to them, was also a study of intergroup relationships. none had problems in school, all were from intact, middle-class families, and there were no notable ethnic group differences among them. The boys, none of whom knew each other beforehand, were divided into two groups of 11 and taken to separate areas of the park. Neither group even knew of the other's existence—initially. Part 1: two groups independently engaged in activities designed to foster group unity Cohesion developed within each group, and the boys came up with names for their groups: the Eagles and the Rattlers. Part 2: Eagles and Rattlers brought together for tournament (designed to encourage each group to see the other as an impediment to the fulfillment of its own goals and hence a foe ...that is what happened (insulted and trash talked other team but gave glorifying and congratulatory comments to own team; also actions, such as other team flag burning or stealing. food fights, cabin raids, fight challenges) Study shows that neither differences in backgrounds or appearances are needed for intergroup hostility to develop. All needed is that to groups enter into competition for resources only one group can have. Simple noncompetitive contact failed to reduce intergroup friction...However: Cooperation in Robbers Cave Experiment: When two groups had to work together to complete tasks (ex. pull stalled car) they all became friends and set their differences aside ..this showed the effects of superordinate goals

Prejudice

attitudinal and affective response toward a group and its individual members involves prejudging others because they belong to a specific category Attitudinal component of negative intergroup relationships

superordinate goals

goals that could not be achieved by either group alone but could be accomplished by working together

Discrimination

negative or harmful behavior directed toward members of a particular group involves unfair treatment of others, based not on their individual character or abilities, but strictly on their membership in a specific group Behavioral component of negative intergroup relationships

Realistic Group Conflict

one version of the economic perspective acknowledges that groups sometimes confront real conflict over what are essentially economic issues according to this theory, prejudice and discrimination should increase under conditions of economic difficulty, such as recessions and periods of high unemployment. When there is less going around or when people are afraid of losing what they have, competition intensifies. Theory predicts that prejudice and discrimination should be the strongest among groups

Modern Racism

rejection of explicitly racist beliefs--blacks being morally inferior to whites, for instance--while nevertheless feeling animosity toward African Americans or being highly suspicious of them and being uncomfortable dealing with them

The Economic Perspective

the most intense intergroup tensions arise between groups that vie for the same limited resource Group develop prejudices about each other and discriminate against one another when they compete for material resources. Religious groups, racial groups, and cultural groups all stand ready to protect and promote their own interests by lashing out at those they perceive to be threatening

Priming

the presentation of information designed to activate a concept such as a stereotype and hence make it accessible. A prime is a stimulus presented to activate the concept in question