Factors affecting prejudice: situation and culture

Question 1

Situational factors affecting prejudice

Answer 1

Social norms
Competition and resource stress

Question 2

Social norms

Answer 2

SIT (follow in-group norms to avoid rejection and lower self esteem)
Cantril - group identity central formation of prejudice, are increase group frame of reference
Minard - white black miners friendly below ground, but negative views above ground (depends if they identify with miners or race group)

Question 3

Competition and resource sress

Answer 3

RCT (compete for limited resources)
Esses -> resource stress occurs when people believe commodities are limited
Prejudice arises if in-group members see themselves in direct competition. Heightened if situation is seen as zero-sum

Question 4

Culture factors affecting prejudice

Answer 4

The norm of intolerance
The norm of fairness

Question 5

The norm of intolerance

Answer 5

Promotes prejudice and discrimination
Baldwin suggests all cultured are ethnocentric to some extent
Benevolent intolerance - ingroups behave positively towards outgroups to support lower status but still prejudice
Some cultures accept and encourage outward expression of -rejudice

Question 6

The norm of fairness

Answer 6

Can reduce prejudice and discrimination
Some cultures concerned with fairness over competition
Wetherell replicated Tajfel’s minimal group experiment - immigrant Polynesian children more generous than white classmates

Question 7

Situation strength

Answer 7

Akrami et al
Manipulated social norms
Some participants heard confederate express that discrimination of women is no longer a problem in Sweden
Sexism levels lower for group who heard this than those who did not

Question 8

CA of strength in situation

Answer 8

Although mean levels of prejudice differed between experimental and control groups
Akrami report that personality variables has influence

Question 9

Situation application

Answer 9

Essess suggest targeting zero-sum beliefs that lead to prejudice against immigrants have effective strategy
High SDO participants created negative attitudes

Question 10

Culture strength

Answer 10

Orpen
Found Fscale scores were not significantly correlated with prejudice in group of white south african participants
Measures of social conformity, susceptibility to cultural pressure and adherence to cultural norms correlated significantly with prejudice to black south africans
Conformity to cultural norms may be critical determinant of intolerant attitudes towards specific outgroups

Question 11

CA of culture

Answer 11

Participants were 16 year old school children
Have stronger desire to fit in with social group