Class 7 Flashcards
How does lighting impact your opinion of a politician? (why does this relate to individual differences?)
People who agree with the politician think the lighter photo is more representative
Those who disagree see the darker image as more representative
What is the Likert scale?
Ex.
On a scale of 1-5, how great of an instructor is Dr. Axt?
1 = Very good
2 = Great
3 = Excellent
4 = Unbelievable
5 = The Best Ever
What is ‘Symbolic’ or ‘Modern’ Racism?
Ppl moving past explicit racism
Other racial groups are not inherently
inferior, but intergroup disparities can be attributed to group differences in attitudes or motivations associated with success in life.
-Example: Certain racial groups don’t value hard work as much as White people do.
What are some examples of modern racism (just to see if I can think of stuff) (freebie)
-Black people are getting too demanding in their push for equal rights.
-Discrimination against Black people is no longer a problem
What is an issue with modern and symbolic racism?
Now we need to get around social desirability bias (ppl wont just report racial bias anymore)
What is a main feature of modern racism?
People can ascribe external factors to justify these other than racism
(Ex. they just don’t try hard enough - not hating cuz of race, but because they are lazy)
What are Symbolic Racism: Sample Items
(just to see what I say)
-It’s really a matter of some people not trying hard enough; if Black people would only try harder they could be just as well off as White people.
Agree: 18%
Neutral: 14%
Disagree: 68%
-Over the past few years, Black people have gotten more economically than they deserve.
Agree: 8%
Neutral: 21%
Disagree: 71%
What are two examples of more direct ways of measuring prejudice?
-Black people come from a less able race and this explains why they are not as well off as most White people.
-To what extent do you prefer White to Black people
- Less ppl agree with this, cuz you’d HAVE to blame your reasoning on racism (can’t blame a trait)
How do we know if indirect or direct measures are better at measuring prejudice?
We are looking for which measures correlate the most with their IAT score
- If a self-report can predict your IAT well, then that measure is close to your construct (mental race attitudes)
Which types of test (indirect/direct) were better predictors of IAT score?
More direct were
- Self presentation bias may be a concern, but not enough ppl to diminish the value of direct reporting
What did Robert Altemeyer make?
Right-Wing Authoritarianism scale (RWA)
What does the Right-Wing Authoritarianism measure?
to identify people who are particularly willing to submit to (perceived legitimate) authorities and who strongly adhere to societal conventions and norms.
-Subsequent research has found that RWA is a strong predictor of intergroup prejudice.
-Likely due to RWA’s connection to ‘mental inflexibility’ and attitudes towards groups that violate current convention
What are examples of Right-Wing Authoritarianism scale questions (try think of some!)?
The established authorities generally turn out to be right about things, while the radicals and protestors are usually just “loud mouths” showing off their ignorance.
-The only way our country can get through the crisis ahead is to get back to our traditional values, put some tough leaders in power, and silence the troublemakers spreading bad ideas.
How do people high on Right-Wing Authoritarianism treat people?
Treat ppl as groups, and not individuals
- Rely on stereotypes and prejudice
What biases does Right-Wing Authoritarianism correlate with?
-Black people (r = .50)
-Gay people (r = .52)
-Feminists (r = .74)
-People with a mental disability (r = .31)
Which political orientation does Right-Wing Authoritarianism correlate with? (no surprise here)
-RWA and political orientation (conservatism) correlate at r = .65
What is need for cognitive closure?
Need for closure refers to an individual’s desire to arrive at a firm answer and to avoid feelings of ambiguity
What are some sample questions on need for cognitive closure tests? (examples)
-I find that a well ordered life with regular hours suits my temperament.
-I don’t like to go into a situation without knowing what I can expect from it.
-When I have made a decision, I feel relieve
Which political orientation is associated with need for cognitive closure?
Need for Closure is consistently found to be related to the degree to which someone identifies as conservative (r ~ .20).
How can need for cognitive closure and stereotypical thinking be similar?
fill a similar purpose –they allow for a more simplified view of the world.
-Greater reliance on stereotypes in judgment and perceptions means a lower need or ability to use “individualizing” information
Less nuance and differences
What is the androgyny face test?
Morphed faces
(100% male ——— 100% female)
Blend the few in between (ex. 70% male 30% female)
Flashed these quickly
For conservatives: How long it took them to identify a gender for this person (more androgenous), the more they liked them less
- More vague = feeling of discomfort (no cognitive closure???)
How were peoples responses to this:
“It is possible to know a persons [race/religion/sexual orientation] once you take a look at them.”
significant in a study?
Conservative believed they could sort people more
- Important because if this was about contact with other groups, you’d think conservatives would be less sure (cuz they don’t hang around gay ppl) so they should not be confident in their gaydar
Then completed need for structure scale
FOUND: Need for Structure mediated
the relationship between political ideology (conservatism) and belief that social group membership can be inferred from physical appearance.
-In other words, conservatives viewed group memberships as more visible than did liberals in part because they more strongly desired structure in daily life
What can conservative need for structure tell us about ideological differences?
inform ideological debates around certain political issues, like racial profiling or “stop and frisk”
