ch.1

Question 1

stereotypes

Answer 1

●Beliefs and opinions about the characteristics, attributes, and behaviors of members of various groups

●Develop from
●Exposure to culture
●Personal observations and experiences

Question 2

why stereotypes exist

Answer 2

●Because they are learned!
●Where?

●SOCIETY, MEDIA, FAMILY, PEERS

●Perpetuates negative stereotypes, rarely positive ones
●Gender, race, homosexuals, etc.
●Focus more on negative events than positive events
●Availability heuristic?

Question 3

prejudice

Answer 3

●An attitude directed toward people because they are members of a specific group
●Based in emotion
●Originates from several sources:
●Perceived threat
●Close personal contact
●Personality traits

Question 4

Discrimination

Answer 4

●Treating people differently from others based on membership in a social group
●Occurs on 3 levels in society.

Question 5

interpersonal

Answer 5

occurs on person to person levels based on group membership

Question 6

organizational and institutional

Answer 6

Occurs when institutions or governing bodies sanction beliefs about group superiority.

Question 7

cultural

Answer 7

Occurs when one group retains the power to define cultural values as well as the form those values should take within a culture.

Question 8

relationships among stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination

Answer 8

Having knowledge of stereotypic beliefs does not necessarily mean an individual is prejudiced

Stereotypic beliefs can be accessed without awareness.
Can influence behavior, even of people low in prejudice

Patricia Devine (1989)
Students listed characteristics for the stereotype of African Americans.
High and low prejudiced individuals were equally knowledgeable of the stereotype.
Low prejudiced people rejected the stereotype.
High prejudiced people accepted it.

Question 9

implicit prejudice

Answer 9

Reactions toward groups or individuals that are outside conscious awareness

Question 10

explicit prejudice

Answer 10

Attitudes that people are aware of and can easily control if they try

Question 11

social scientists differentiate

Answer 11

Stereotypes are based on beliefs.

Prejudice is based on affective attitudes.

Discrimination is based on behavior

Question 12

scientific racism

Answer 12

Prior to 1920s
Researchers tried to demonstrate empirically the superiority of one group.
Prejudice was viewed as a natural response to “backward” peoples.
Used to justify the status quo of treatment of Blacks

Question 13

psychodynamic theory

Answer 13

Proposes that universal psychological processes account for prejudice
Processes presumed to be:
Motivationally based
Serve to strengthen one’s self-esteem
Prejudice was viewed as a social problem caused by irrational and unjustifiable beliefs.

Question 14

sociocultural theory

Answer 14

Culture provides stereotypes
Stereotyping and prejudice are strongly tied to culture and structure of society.
Developed from two models:
Structural-functionalist view – society has rules we must all follow
Conflict perspective – groups have different values

Question 15

intergroup relations theory

Answer 15

Prejudice derives from perceptions of competition with other groups.
Relative deprivation theory
Prejudice results from the resentment people feel when they believe their group has been deprived of a resource that another group receives.

Question 16

social identity theory

Answer 16

People can only have a positive self-identity by feeling positively about the groups to which they belong.
View one’s own group as better than other groups
Hostility increases toward the opposing group
Increase of ingroup loyalty

Question 17

cognitive thoery

Answer 17

Prejudice is viewed as universal and inevitable.
Stereotyping is a normal cognitive process that simplifies information that is stored in memory.
Simpler to think of all members in a group to be similar in their characteristics.

Question 18

evolutionary theory

Answer 18

Behaviors stem from psychological mechanisms that evolved to allow survival.
Suspicion and fear of strangers – protects themselves and communities from harm.
Kin favoritism – cooperation among relatives to ensure mutual survival; protects them from being exploited by strangers.

Question 19

race and ethnicity

Answer 19

US history of stigmatizing racial, ethnic, and immigrant groups
Theories and research focused mainly on prejudice against African Americans.
Attitudes and behaviors of minority group members toward Whites have been ignored.

Question 20

religion

Answer 20

Prejudice based on religion has existed for centuries.
Studied less than racial prejudice in the US
Anti-Catholic and anti-Semitic prejudice
Gordon Allport (1954) – The Nature of Prejudice
Rise of anti-Muslim prejudice following Sept. 11. 2001

Question 21

gender and sexual orientation

Answer 21

Gender-based prejudice has both benevolent and hostile components.

Heterosexism – ideological system that denies, denigrates, and stigmatizes any nonheterosexual behavior or identity.

Question 22

age, ability, and appearance

Answer 22

Ageism – negative reactions to older people
Prejudice against People with Disabilities (PWD)
Physical Appearance, especially weight
Long hairs and punk rockers?
What about people who listen to country music?
Rap and Hip Hop?
Little people, clowns, people with uni-brows, for God’s sake where does it end?