Lecture 10: Intergroup Interactions Flashcards
Richeson & Shelton Interracial Interactions Study
Participants went through a same-race or cross-race interaction for 10-15 mins. After, they completed a measure of “executive control”, the Stroop task. Finally, they completed an IAT. Participants who reported more pro-White implicit bias on the IAT had the most difficulty with the Stroop Task following a cross-race interaction (fewer cognitive resources leftover)
measure of executive control
determines how many cognitive resources you have available
Stroop task
must name the ink colour that spells out the names of other colours
motivation & intergroup interactions
One’s motivation to control prejudiced responses is a strong predictor of the quality of intergroup interactions
Asby Plant & Patricia Devine
divided motivation to control prejudice into “internal motivation” & “external motivation”
distribution of internal motivation to control prejudice
The internal motivation to control prejudice is negatively skewed; most people are internally motivated to control prejudice
distribution of external motivation to control prejudice
The external motivation to control prejudice is normally distributed
are internal and external motivation to control prejudice correlated?
no
behaviours of White participants high in internal motivation
are concerned about showing respect toward Black interaction partners (affiliative behaviour)
behaviours of white participants high in external motivation
more self-focused, concerned about not appearing prejudiced in the eyes of the Black interaction partner (self-regulated behaviour)
external motivation to control prejudice was associated with
- Concerns about appearing prejudiced
- Self-focused behavioural intentions
internal motivation to control prejudice was associated with
- Concerns about being respectful
- Partner-focused behavioural intentions
- Actual respectful behaviour in the get-to-know-you video
contact hypothesis (Allport)
Interpersonal contact between groups will improve intergroup relations
higher levels of intergroup contact are associated with
- Increased knowledge about outgroup
- Increased empathy with outgroup
- Reduced intergroup anxiety
- Reduced implicit & explicit prejudice
- Reduced outgroup threat
optimal conditions for contact
- support of authorities
- equal status
- common goals
- cooperation
- contact as individuals
support from authorities
authorities support friendly, egalitarian contact and interaction between groups
equal status
members of groups have similar social status within a situation
Blanchard equal status study
cooperation backfires when a clear status hierarchy exists and often results in scapegoating behaviour (blaming an outgroup partner for a shared loss)
cooperation
groups work together to attain goals
Brown cooperation correlation study
athletes in team sports who had high contact with their teammates were less prejudiced. Demonstrates that both contact & cooperation produce less prejudice
contact as individuals
opportunities to know outgroup members as individuals in informal settings
example of contact as a public policy
The Central Council of Jews in Germany launched a program called “Meet a Jew”, which seeks to introduce Jews to non-Jews at events through Germany with the aim to humanize Jews amid years of rising antisemitic violence. Through the program, 350 volunteers have been visiting public locations to talk about themselves in an ask-me-anything style
why do people hesitate to initiate intergroup friendships?
- Worry they won’t know how to act
- Anticipate anxiety
- Expect to have a more negative experience than reality suggests
- Worry about rejection
white people’s worry about contact with Black people
Black people will think they’re prejudiced