lecture 8 improving intergroup relations

Question 1

categorisation models

Answer 1

decategorisation
crossed categorisation
common in group identity

Question 2

decategorisation

Answer 2

Group categories are abandoned & people

are encouraged to think of others in an interpersonal context - remove category and emphasise the individual

Question 3

Bettencourt, Brewer, Croak, & Miller (1992) decategorisation

Answer 3

pps in 2 minimal groups
1 - focus on task - lead to intergroup bias
2 - focus on personal characteristics - reduced intergroup bias

Question 4

problems with decategorisation

Answer 4

cant do when categories salent/distinct ie race
can be detrimental to remove group identity - valuable to self
not likely to generalise positive individual views to whole group (subtype) - ie when atypical student, less prejudice to individual but not who whole uni

Question 5

crossed categorisation

Answer 5

social identities are comprised of many group memberships - encourage to think of out-group members in terms of how they are similar on other category dimensions ie when share one ingroup dimension

two ingroup dimension ie female psych - double in
no dimension ie male maths

Question 6

deschamps and doise crossed categorisation

Answer 6

segregate participants on gender then mix giving red or blue pens
rate performance in terms of gender - bias
rate in terms of colour - reduce intergroup bias

Question 7

problem with crossed categorisation

Answer 7

double out group - no reduction in prejudice/increased prejudice towards as even greater segregation

Question 8

common in group identity

Answer 8

‘recategorisation’ / ‘superordinate categorisation’

encouraged to perceive themselves (“us”) & out-groups (“them”) as members of a superordinate (“we”) category

Question 9

gaertner common in group identity

Answer 9

inter group bias is repeatedly displayed as in-group favoritism rather than out-group derogation

create a super ordinate identity via Cooperation

integrated seating between groups and all work on same task & ask to evaluate individuals - Reduced inter group bias in super ordinate condition

Question 10

criticism of common in group identity

Answer 10

increases in intergroup bias can follow superordinate categorization
identify strongly with their in-group (high identifiers)see superordinate categorization as threat to in-group positive distinctiveness
positive distinctiveness threatened (social identity)

Question 11

contact hypothesis ‘intergroup contact’

Answer 11

Contact between opposing group members should reduce prejudice

Question 12

contact hypothesis prerequisits that must be met

Answer 12

Institutional support
Co-operation to achieve common goals
Free from competition
Equal status between contact members

Question 13

how does intergroup contact work

Answer 13

Increasing empathy towards the out-group
Encouraging perspective taking
Enhancing feelings of trust towards the out-group
Reducing intergroup anxiety and threat

Question 14

problem with intergroup contact

Answer 14

effect is weaker amongst minority members

Question 15

intergroup anxiety

Answer 15

anxiety that an individual may feel when anticipating or experiencing contact with someone from another group
ie Negative arousal associated with out-group

Question 16

reducing intergroup anxiety

Answer 16

positive contact with out-group member reduces these feelings of anxiety; in turn prejudice is reduced

Question 17

Paolini et al. (2004)

reducing intergroup anxiety

Answer 17

crossed contact between catholics and protestants in N.Ireland reduces anxiety and improves attitudes

Question 18

criticisms of intergroup contact

Answer 18

sherif summer camp - mere exposure to other group not improve but initiate prejuce (right circumstances)
allport - prejudice towards black community increase with greater proximity

Question 19

intergroup anxiety most likely if

Answer 19

If minimal contact with out-group
If hold negative beliefs about the out-group in question
If the interaction is unstructured - increased ambiguity of the situation

Question 20

neg impact of intergroup anxiety

Answer 20

– Negative arousal generalised to the target of the interaction
– increased prejudice towards out-group
– Avoidance of out-group
– Opportunity for direct contact not always available

Question 21

extended contact

Answer 21

knowledge of cross-group friendships can reduce prejudice

Question 22

Wright et al. (1997) extended contact

Answer 22

Created intergroup conflict between
two minimal groups
- one participant from each group participated in a co-operative task together
- return - participants discuss experience with the rest of the in-group
- intergroup conflict and intergroup bias were reduced

Question 23

criticisms of extended contact

Answer 23

opportunity not always available
– Highly segregated areas
– People often associate with like-minded individuals

Question 24

imagined contact

Answer 24

imagining positive contact with an out-group member will have similar (albeit less powerful) effects as direct contact

Question 25

Turner, Crisp, & Lambert (2007) imagined contact 1

Answer 25

Young participants randomly allocated to one of two conditions & asked to imagined a scene:
control - imagine outdoor scene
exp - imagine pos encounter with elederly stranger

-asked willingness to work with elderly individual

no bias in imagined positive contact group

Question 26

how does imagined contact improve relations

Answer 26

Improved explicit & implicit attitudes
Reduced intergroup anxiety
Stronger behavioural intentions
improved intergroup behaviours ie approaching
Overcomes limitations of other forms of contact as no need for opportunity

Question 27

criticisms of imagined contact

Answer 27

Not expected to be as powerful as direct contact

preparatory measure not replacement

Question 28

education in reducing prejudice

Answer 28

Education promoting tolerance – particularly aimed at children should reduce prejudice

Question 29

education Elliot (1977) The Eye of The Storm

Answer 29

Prejudice reduced by having people
experience what it is like to be the victim of discrimination
- blue eyed people > than brown eyed people