Factors affecting prejudice: Individual differences

Question 1

what are the 4 types of personalities that affect prejudice levels?

Answer 1

1. the authoritarian personality
2. allport’s authoritarian personality
3. right wing authoritarianism
4. social dominance orientation

Question 2

how does authoritarian personality affect prejudice?

Adorno

Answer 2

-Harsh parents expect high levels of achievement and extreme loyalty.
-Conditional love is given if they behave correctly
-children feel hostile towards their parents conditional love but cant express anger due to fear of punishment
>displace anger onto something else (scapegoating)
Usually displaced to socially inferior

Question 3

who also discussed the authoritarian personality?

Answer 3

ALLPORT

Question 4

what does Allport say?

Answer 4

Discussed this personality and compared it to more ‘generalised tolerant types’, who get unconditional parental acceptance
-parenting style leads to empathic attitude towards others
>more liberal ideological outlook
-authoritarians prefer solutions rather than asking further questions

Question 5

how do allport and adorno differ?

Answer 5

unlike adorno, allport believed people with authoritarian personalities are not prejudiced, but favour political arguments that target their inner insecurities and fears

Question 6

who talks about right wing authoritarianism (RWA) and what is the overall explanation?

Answer 6

ALTEMEYER
Focused on 3 of adornos authoritarian traits:
authoritarian submission, aggression, conventionalism
Argues RWA is not product of parental experiences, but develops as consequence of social learning

Question 7

hoe does social learning affect prejudice?

and how do people with RWA behave?

Answer 7

-RWA may result when children are socialised to believe world is dangerous and threatening
-RWA stems from a learned set of beliefs about the world and is reaction to fear and uncertainty
-Usually seek security through preserving existing social order, and are hostile to those who step out of a learned set of norms
+ closed off to new experiences

Question 8

who developed social dominance orientation?

Answer 8

PRATTO

Question 9

what is SDO?

Answer 9

-Describes people who are motivated to seek ingroup power and dominance
-prefer hierarchal structure to equal distribution of power
-includes characteristics like tough-mindedness and lacks empathy and agreeableness
-more common in men
>thought to develop though exposure to competitive situations with high inequality levels

Question 10

how do SDO and RWA differ and how are they similar?

Answer 10

different:
SDO see world as ‘competitive jungle’ where people fight for their share of limited resources and power
similar:
transmitted through role models in socialisation process

Question 11

supporting evidence for RWA?

Answer 11

COHRS
FOUND,
- RWA (+.50) and SDO -(+.30) were both positively correlated with generalised prejudice (<0.001)
-RWA negatively correlated with openness to experience (-.22)
-SDO negatively correlated with agreeableness (-.40)
SO,
can prejudice levels can be predicted from personality traits

Question 12

competing argument?

Answer 12

WRONG TO THE RWA AND SDO ARE CONSISTENT OVER TIME
Both interact with social factors - prejudice harder to predict in real world
EG. Levin primed jewish ptcps to think about their social identity within Israel
FOUND,
Ashkenazi Jews showed higher SDO than other types
BUT, SDO disappeared when Jewish groups primed to think about relationship between Israel and Palestine
SHOWS,
SDO scores can be effect of prejudice

Question 13

weakness?

Answer 13

IGNORES ROLE OF SOCIAL NORMS AND SITUATIONAL FACTORS
SDO and RWA scales dont include items which are heavily affected by social attitudes > ignored
EG. 70% Australians strongly disagree with statement ‘white race is best race’ BUT agreed with exclusion of asylum seekers
SUGGESTS,
important to understand social and individual factors

Question 14

application?

Answer 14

REDUCING PREJDICE
Allport and Altemeyer argue prejudice can be learned through exposure to certain worldviews
Suggests greater regulation of media sources could be beneficial
And strategies which challenge view of world as dangerous and competitive
DEMONSTRATES,
root of prejudice and how to combat

Question 15

ISSUES AND DEBATES

Answer 15

SOCIALLY SENSITIVE
Has treated right wing attitudes as abnormal, creating dividing left and right further.
Allports claims regarding thinking styles are harmful and could mean right wing views are less capable of critical thinking
SUGGESTS,
must be careful to ensure research is used to criticise people who hold certain views