Social Psychology Chapter 13: Prejudice and Inter-group Relations

Understand realistic conflict theory and the Robber's Cave study, including the role of superordinate goals in resolving intergroup conflict

Robber's cave (Sherif & Sherif, 1953) First stage: two groups of boys had no contact with each other Second stage: two groups met each other and competed in contests Third stage: hostility reduction Superordinate Goals: goals that can be achieved only by cooperating and working with others

Sterotypes

Beliefs that associate groups of people with certain traits

Prejudice

Derived from the Latin term for prejudging. It refers to evaluating a person or multiple persons based on membership in a group or category of people. Thus, prejudice involves attitudes toward categories of people, which can be used to judge individuals without being based on the individual's actions or personal traits.

Frey and Gaertner's Scrabble study

Frey and Gaertner (1986) IV1: Scrabble task with a black or white partner IV2: partner was deserving or undeserving of help DV: % who helped

What is the contact hypothesis?

Regular interaction between members of different groups reduces prejudice, provided that it occurs

Aversive racism

Simultaneously holding egalitarian values and negative feelings toward people of other races. Believe in equality and hold a non-prejudiced self-image, but feel uncomfortable around minorities Response is determined by the presence of for negative behavior

Steele and Aronson (1995)

Steele and Aronson (1995) had black and white participants complete a difficult test that was supposedly diagnostic of intellectual ability IV: some participants were required to before taking the test DV: test performance

Can prejudice be overcome? If so, how?

Target interventions to help people accomplish goals, such as gaining social approval and maintaining self-esteem, without prejudice Superordinate goals

What is stereotype threat?

The fear that one might confirm the stereotypes that others hold.

Discrimination

Unequal treatment of different people based on the groups or categories to which they belong