Prosocial Behavior and Prejudice/Discrimination

Question 1

Bystander Apathy

Answer 1

Bystander apathy refers to the phenomenon where individuals fail to intervene in emergency situations, often due to factors like diffusion of responsibility, pluralistic ignorance, and evaluation apprehension.

Question 2

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

Answer 2

The empathy-altruism hypothesis proposes that people help others because of empathic concern for their well-being. It suggests that altruistic motives drive helping behaviors rather than egoistic ones.

Question 3

Superordinate Goals

Answer 3

Superordinate goals are shared objectives that require cooperation between different groups. They have been shown to reduce intergroup conflict by fostering cooperation and reducing hostility.

Question 4

Structural Racism

Answer 4

Structural racism refers to laws, policies, and practices that produce race-based inequalities. It includes systemic factors embedded within institutions that perpetuate racial disparities.

Question 5

Stereotype Threat

Answer 5

Stereotype threat occurs when situational factors activate stereotypes, leading individuals to conform to negative stereotypes about their group. It can impair performance on tasks relevant to the stereotype.

Question 6

Shooter Bias

Answer 6

Shooter bias refers to the tendency to make quicker decisions to shoot armed Black suspects compared to armed White suspects, and to refrain from shooting unarmed White suspects compared to unarmed Black suspects. It is influenced by cultural stereotypes and racial biases.

Question 7

Covert Racism

Answer 7

Covert racism, also known as modern or subtle racism, involves indirect and ambiguous forms of discrimination that can be intentional or unintentional. It includes beliefs and behaviors that maintain racial inequalities while appearing socially acceptable.

Question 8

Sexism

Answer 8

Definition: “Negative attitudes toward individuals based solely on their sex, combined with institutional and cultural practices supporting unequal status” (Bosson, Vandello, & Buckner, 2019).

Question 9

Term: Ambivalent sexism theory

Answer 9

Definition: According to Glick and Fiske (1996, 2001), sexism comprises two components: Hostile sexism and Benevolent sexism.

Question 10

Hostile sexism

Answer 10

Antipathy toward women seen as challenging men’s power.

Question 11

Benevolent sexism

Answer 11

Favorable, protective attitude toward women in traditional roles.

Question 12

Stereotypes

Answer 12

Definition: “Rigid and inaccurate preconceived notions about all people who are members of a particular group, whether it be defined along racial, religious, sexual, or other lines” (Sue, 2003, p. 25). Stereotypes can lead to prejudice and discrimination due to rigid expectations about the stereotyped group.

Question 13

Self-stereotyping

Answer 13

Definition: Self-stereotyping refers to the unconscious internalization of positive and negative stereotypes applied to one’s own group by other groups. It can have both negative and positive effects. For example, endorsing negative stereotypes of one’s own group can protect self-esteem by providing explanations for behavior or outcomes.

Question 14

Stereotype Threat

Answer 14

Definition: Stereotype threat occurs when situational factors activate group stereotypes in members of low-status groups, leading to assimilation to the stereotypes or self-stereotyping (Hummert, 2011, p. 256). It impairs the performance of stigmatized group members in tasks relevant to negative stereotypes about their groups. For example, Hess et al. (2003) found that older adults’ memory task performance decreased after exposure to stereotype-confirming news but not after reading stereotype-refuting news. Stereotype threat increases physiological arousal, stress, and negative self-statements, reducing cognitive resources needed for the task.

Question 15

Shooter Bias

Answer 15

Description: Shooter bias is observed in research utilizing a videogame simulation resembling a police encounter with potentially dangerous suspects (Correll et al., 2002). Subjects are instructed to shoot armed suspects but refrain from shooting unarmed ones. In the simulation, subjects quickly assess images of Black or White males holding cellphone, wallet, or gun, deciding whether to shoot

Question 16

Shooter bias manifests in:

Answer 16

Shooting armed Black suspects faster than armed White suspects.
Refraining from shooting unarmed White suspects faster than unarmed Black suspects.

Question 17

Shooter Bias Description

Answer 17

Erroneously shooting unarmed Black suspects more than unarmed White suspects.
Erroneously refraining from shooting armed White suspects more than armed Black suspects.

Question 18

Initial studies showed (Shooter Bias)

Answer 18

Civilians, both White and Black, exhibiting similar levels of shooter bias (Correll et al., 2002).
Police officers, in comparison, detected weapons better but displayed racial bias in shoot/don’t shoot speed, favoring shooting armed Black suspects faster and refraining from shooting unarmed White suspects faster (Correll et al., 2007).

Question 19

Participant responses to a racial prejudice questionnaire indicated

Answer 19

familiarity with cultural stereotypes of Black men as dangerous, violent, and aggressive as a predictor of shooter bias (Correll et al., 2002).