Lecture 15

Question 1

What is perspective taking?

Answer 1

Imagining the perspective of another group/group member-creates feelings of empathy which reduces prejudice.

Question 2

What was the study by Batson et al on perspective taking?

Answer 2

Used student participants. Listen to an interview with a woman with AIDS. Perspective taking condition: Listen and imagine the womans feelings/experiences OR listen in a detached manner. Victim responsibility was also manipulated (AIDs from unprotected sex vs due to a blood transfusion). DV: indicate empathy and attitudes towards people with AIDS.

Question 3

What were the results of Batson et al’s study?

Answer 3

Empathy: Perspective taking results in higher empathy (stronger in the not responsible condition). Attitudes: Similar trend to empathy, but no difference between responsible or not.

Question 4

What was the study by Vescio et al on perspective taking?

Answer 4

White participants watched an interview with a black student. Had the same perspective manipulation AND a stereotype manipulation: confirming or disconfirming. Indicate empathy and attitudes.

Question 5

What were the results of Vescio et al’s study?

Answer 5

Empathy: Greater in perspective taking, with no effect of stereotypically.
Attitudes found the same trend.

Question 6

What is the reason for the reduction in prejudice when you practice perspective taking?

Answer 6

Empathy

Question 7

What was Jane Elliott’s blue eyes brown eyes study?

Answer 7

1968, simulation of discrimination. Blue eyes as superior, and brown eyes as submissive (then flip the roles). Simulation then leads to a discussion, wanting to see if it reduces discrimination.

Question 8

What are some of the positive outcomes of the blue eyes brown eyes study?

Answer 8

Less condoning of discrimination and more positive attitudes towards the outgroup

Question 9

What are some of the negative outcomes of the blue eyes brown eyes study?

Answer 9

Stress and anger towards the self

Question 10

How did Gutierrez et al use technology to simulate discrimination?

Answer 10

Used virtual reality to have participants play as a black student in uni trying to get a degree. Resulted in a reduction in implicit bias, but only among participants who actually took the perspective of the target.

Question 11

What was Groom et al’s study using technology to simulate discrimination?

Answer 11

Participants were represented by white or black avatars. Had them look in a mirror, then answer job interview questions as the avatar. Embodiment by outgroup member resulted in more racial bias (activation of stereotypes).

Question 12

What is the caveat behind perspective taking?

Answer 12

Imagine other (how target feels based on their distinct view point), versus imagine self (how you yourself would feel if you were in their place). Imagine other is better than imagine self.

Question 13

What are meta-stereotypes?

Answer 13

Negative stereotypes believed to be held by the outgroup about one’s own group.

Question 14

What happens with meta-stereotypes when we engage in imagine self perspective?

Answer 14

Meta-stereotypes about that group come out due to worries of becoming those stereotypes.

Question 15

What are category based prejudice reduction models?

Answer 15

Using categorization to reduce prejudice: Either decategorization: Elimination of cateogrization
Or recategorization: altering categorization

Question 16

What is the idea behind decategorization and what are some of the problems with it?

Answer 16

Focus on the interpersonal rather than the intergroup. Perceive people as separate individuals, reduce salience of group identities. The problem with this is that its 1) Unstable. 2) Difficult to maintain 3) Generalization to the rest of the outgroup is not likely

Question 17

What is the idea behind recategorization?

Answer 17

Categorizing people on a different dimension (maybe on a higher level). Not us vs them, but we. Higher level category that you both belong to.

Question 18

What does recategorization result in?

Answer 18

1) reduction of original ingroup/outgroup distinction
2) Newly categorized ingroup members are evaluated more positively
3) Behaviour to new ingroup members is more positive.

Question 19

What was Allports Circles of Inclusion idea?

Answer 19

Person’s ingroups vary hierarchically in inclusiveness (racial group, family, human kind). Can always find a common area.

Question 20

What is the common ingroup identity model by Gaertner and Dovidio?

Answer 20

Interventions aimed at changing conceptions of different group memberships to one that is more common. Cooperative interaction between the ingroup and outgroup, asked to focus on similar categorization-increased group representations and decreased separate group representations

Question 21

What is the best way to reduce prejudice?

Answer 21

Intergroup contact

Question 22

What is intergroup contact?

Answer 22

Positive contact between members of 2 groups can improve attitudes and intergroup relations.

Question 23

What are the optimal conditions for intergroup contact?

Answer 23

1) Groups are of equal status/power
2) Contact is intimate
3) Working towards a common goal
4) Contact is supported by authorities

Question 24

What did the meta-analysis by Pettigrew and Tropp find with regards to intergroup contact?

Answer 24

Intergroup contact does reduce prejudice towards a broad range of groups. r is consistently at -.22. Contact effects generalize to the entire group. Do not need Allports optimum conditions, but when they are present, prejudice is reduced more.

Question 25

Why does intergroup contact reduce prejudice according to Pettigrew and Tropp?

Answer 25

Intergroup contact means more knowledge about the outgroup, less intergroup anxiety (strongest), empathy, and perspective taking.

Question 26

Who does intergroup contact work best for?

Answer 26

Best for those higher in RWA or SDO. Contact doesn’t happen that much,

Question 27

What are some caveats for contact?

Answer 27

Effects are weak at best for minority group members; most research is specific to majority groups. Negative contact increases prejudice more than positive contact predicts reduced prejudice. The Quality of the interaction is important! It can also undermine collective action due to members of the disadvantaged groups coming to like members of the advantaged and therefor not participating in collective action.

Question 28

What are intergroup friendships?

Answer 28

Especially powerful form of intergroup contact- involves cooperation, common goals, equal status contact, contact over an extended period and across varied settings.

Question 29

What are the strongest associations between intergroup friendship and positive attitudes?

Answer 29

Time spent and self-disclosure.