5] Stereotypes & Prejudice (1) Flashcards
What is prejudice
A hostile or negative attitude towards people in a distinguishable group based solely on their membership.
This leads to negative behaviours called discrimination.
What is a stereotypes
A generalisation about a group of people where an identical characteristic is assigned to all members
What is a social stereotype
Mental association between a social group or category and a particular trait or characteristic
How are stereotypes formed and shaped
They are a cognitive shortcut to understanding complex realties and are shaped by experiences
What is social categorisation
The tendency for people to group themselves and others into social categories.
They are a key factor in stereotypes and prejudice.
What is ingroup bias
The tendency to favour individuals inside our group, emerging as early as preschool years.
What is stereotype consistency
Consistency effects a persons memory of a stereotype, when discussing an ingroup member they recall positive traits instead of negative.
What is the outgroup homogeneity effect
The tendency to assume that there is more similarity among members of an outgroup rather than an ingroup.
Why is perceived group variability important?
Groups perceived to be more homogenous are subject to more stereotyping, prejudice and memory bias
What does backlash do to stereotypes
They weaken counter-stereotypical role models that challenge stereotypes, making the invisible
What does backlash penalisation lead to
1] Diminished performance
2] Increase coping strategies to avoid harassment but reinforces the norms
Why do perceivers engage in backlash
1] Status incongruity hypothesis
2] Perceivers impose penalties to discourage deviance that threatens the status quo
3] System-justification theory
What is the difference between low and high prejudice responses
Low prejudice responses require controlled inhibition of the automatically activated stereotype, whereas high prejudice don’t resist stereotypes
What does successful inhibition of stereotypes depend on..
1] The amount of available information
2] Cognitive capacity
3] Motivation
What is the conflict between prejudice and societal impression
People struggle to express prejudice as they need to maintain a positive self concept.
How do people justify prejudice
Through information that convinces them they are justified, allowing them to be discriminatory and not feel like a bigot.
What are causes of prejudice
1] Society where stereotypes are widespread and discrimination is accepted
2] Gain group acceptance, normative conformity
3] Changing social norms
4] Realistic conflict theory: Limited resources lead to conflict resulting in prejudice
