individual differences affecting prejudice - situation Flashcards
what are social norms?
they refer to the unwritten rules about what is socially acceptable and desirable within specific social groups
- they can act as powerful situational influences - in social identity theory suggests that people follow the norms created by the ingroup so they can belong
what did Cantril (1941) suggest?
he suggested that group identity and socialisation by the group, is central to the formation of prejudiced views
- individuals become increasingly prejudiced as they internalise a group’s FRAME OF REFERENCE.
what did Minard note?
he noted the difference in relations between white and black coal miners in the US - below ground they were friendly (all seen as miners) whereas above ground they held negative views towards each other (identified in the black and white groups)
- prejudice and discrimination are influenced by social norms
how is competition important in escalating prejuduce?
RCT shows that when groups are in competition for limited resources, the result is prejudice
- the competition is a situational factor.
what did Esses use the term resource stress for?
RESOURCE STRESS was used to describe the problem that occurs when people believe that commodities, such as jobs and money, are limited
- prejudice arises when the ingroup perceive themselves in direct competition with some other group
what is a strength of using situational factors to explain prejudice?
it is supported by research
- Akrami et al (2009) experimentally manipulated social norms - some participants heard a confederate express scepticism that anyone could agree with the statement DISCRIMINATION OF WOMEN IS NOT LONGER A PROBLEM
- mean levels of sexism were significantly lower for a group who heard this statement than those who didn’t.
people who read a short article predicting a bleak economic future were more likely to be prejudice
what is the competing argument?
although mean levels of prejudice differed between the experimental and control groups, AKRAMI et al also reported that personality variables had an influence
how can situational factors be applied to reduce prejudice?
Esses et al. suggest targeting the zero-sum beliefs that lead to prejudice against immigrants
- although in their study they found that reactance in participants high in SDO created even more negative attitudes which shows that an indirect approach may be necessary.
