3. BIAS AND DISCRIMINATION Flashcards
What is prejudice?
An adverse opinion formed without sufficient knowledge.
What is a stereotype?
A standardised, oversimplified mental picture of a group.
What is a social schema?
A mental framework for interpreting social information.
What is attributional ambiguity?
Uncertainty about whether discrimination or other factors caused a negative outcome.
What is stereotype threat?
Anxiety from the fear of confirming a negative stereotype, which can worsen performance.
What is stereotype lift?
Improved performance when exposed to positive stereotypes.
What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?
When expectations about a person lead them to behave in ways that confirm those expectations.
What is the halo effect?
Assuming that physically attractive people have other positive traits.
What is the primacy effect in social cognition?
Placing more weight on the first information received about someone.
What is the mere exposure effect?
The tendency to prefer familiar stimuli.
What is social stigma?
Devaluation of a social identity due to negative stereotypes.
What is overt discrimination?
Open and direct unfair treatment of individuals.
What is subtle discrimination?
Less obvious, covert, or implicit unfair treatment.
What is aversive racism?
Subtle prejudice where individuals avoid interracial contact due to discomfort.
What is authoritarian personality theory?
A theory suggesting prejudice arises from personality traits like obedience to authority.
Who proposed authoritarian personality theory?
Adorno et al. (1950).
What is right-wing authoritarianism (RWA)?
Prejudice linked to attitudes of conventionalism, authoritarian aggression, and submission.
Who proposed right-wing authoritarianism?
Altemeyer (1998).
What is social dominance theory?
The belief that groups support social hierarchies to maintain power and status.
Who proposed social dominance theory?
Sidanius & Pratto (1999).
What is system justification theory?
The idea that people defend the status quo to reduce uncertainty and anxiety.
Who proposed system justification theory?
Jost & Van der Torn (2012).
What is structural discrimination?
Systemic inequality embedded in institutions and social structures.
What is structural misogyny?
Societal norms and institutions that marginalise women.
What is structural racism?
Societal norms and systems that perpetuate racial inequality.
What did Simone de Beauvoir argue in The Second Sex?
Femininity is a social construction created by men to define women as the “second sex”.
What is Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism?
A framework depicting Eastern cultures as inferior to justify colonialism.
What is optimal distinctiveness theory?
The desire to balance belonging with a need for individuality.
What is social comparison?
Evaluating oneself by comparing with others, often favouring the in-group.
What is benevolent sexism?
Stereotypes that appear positive but reinforce gender inequality.
What is hostile sexism?
Overtly negative and antagonistic beliefs about women.
What is internalised racism?
When marginalised individuals accept negative stereotypes about their own group.
What is dehumanisation?
Reducing individuals or groups to less-than-human status.
What is infra-humanisation?
The belief that out-group members lack uniquely human traits.
What did Hoffman et al. (2016) find about racial bias in healthcare?
Black patients were perceived as experiencing less pain than white patients.
What did Munger (2017) find about racism on Twitter?
In-group white users were more effective at reducing racial harassment than black users.
What is the impact of racism on healthcare outcomes?
Black patients face worse healthcare outcomes and higher mortality rates.
What did Moss-Racusin et al. (2012) find about gender bias in science?
Female science students were rated as less competent and offered lower salaries.
