Consequences of Prejudice Flashcards
Attributional ambiguity
People in stereotyped groups can experience difficulty interpreting feedback from others
Negative feedback
“Did I do poorly? Or is the person giving prejudiced feedback?”
Positive feedback
“Did I do well? Or does the person giving feedback want to compensate for their biases?”
Attributional ambiguity was assessed using other groups and the strongest findings were for…
people who are obese
Steele’s hypothesis on stereotype threat
Fears that one will confirm the stereotype about one’s group interferes with performance.
Becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
Example of stereotype threat
If a woman is taking a math test and thinking about the stereotype that women are not as good at math compared to men, she might get anxiety. These thoughts might impair her performance
Ways to manipulate stereotyped threat
- Telling participants that the test is diagnostic (or not)
- Making the social category salient
- Making the stereotype salient
Stereotype threat is evoked when participants are told that the test is ________
diagnostic
What does it mean to make the social category salient?
Self-reporting race/gender before test.
Being the only person in that category present
Competing against the “better” category
What does it mean to make the stereotype salient?
Making the stereotype known can evoke stereotype threat.
Davies study
Stereotype threat creates _______ interference
cognitive
Why can stereotype threat become a self-fulfilling prophecy?
Worrying that you will do bad on a test because of the stereotype can interfere with performance and bring about the effect you were trying to avoid
Ways to reduce stereotype threat
Saying the test is not diagnostic Not emphasizing social category Self-affirmation Emphasizing growth mindset Learning about stereotype threat
Contact hypothesis
One of the first theories aimed to reduce prejudice.
Increased contact between members of various social groups can be effective in reducing prejudice between them
Cognitive hypothesis assumes that…
prejudice stems from ignorance
Based on Stephan’s review, racial desegregation in schools…
did not reduce stereotypes and prejudice
Although the contact hypothesis was unsuccessful for racial desegregation in schools it was successful among…
Military, social assisted housing projects, and roommates of different races
5 critical conditions that must be met if the contact hypothesis is successful:
- The groups must be equal in status
- Personal interaction among individual members
- Contact with more than one member of the out-group
- Engage in cooperative activities
- Social norms favour intergroup contact
- Groups must be equal in status
In the specific context they must be equal even if they are not in society.
Ex; In university dorms everyone is a first year
- Personal interaction
Not interacting but being in the same place will just exacerbate differences
- Contact with more than one member
Interacting with more members will make it more difficult to subtype, thus more likely to change stereotypes
- Engage in cooperative activities
If the group works together and succeed, barriers will be broken down and positive contact will be facilitated
- Social norms favour intergroup contact
Groups have to WANT to be there. This was missing during the desegregation of schools because the decision was imposed
What is an example of engaging in cooperative activities?
The Jigsaw classroom
