remember the titans - prejudice

Question 1

Define attitudes

Answer 1

Attitudes are long-lasting evaluations we hold about ourselves, other people, objects, issues and groups

• they have direction as they can be positive, negative or neutral.
• they vary in intensity

Question 2

Define the Tripartite Model of Attitudes

Answer 2

a theory on the structure of attitudes, which proposes that an attitude is made up of three components – affective, cognitive and behavioural.

• the most influential and widely used model

Question 3

(Aranson)

Answer 3

These are sometimes referred to as the ABCs of attitudes

Question 4

Describe the affect component

Answer 4

refers to the emotional reaction or feelings an individual has towards an object, person, issue, event or group

Question 5

describe the cognitive component

Answer 5

refers to the beliefs an individual has about an object, person, issue, event or group

Question 6

describe the behavioural component

Answer 6

refers to the way an attitude is expressed through our actions

Question 7

consistency between the components

Answer 7

for an attitude to exist, all 3 components must be present.

Question 8

Remember to titans consistency example

Answer 8

Attitude of someone against the mixing of black and white people:

Cognitive - black and white people should be segregated and shouldn’t interact with each other.

Affective - feeling uncomfortable when black and white people are together, such as in the same school or neighbourhood.

Behaviour - avoid people of the opposite race and protest the mixing of racial groups, such as unsegregated schools, neighbourhoods and sports teams.

Question 9

limitation of tripartite model of attitudes

Answer 9

the behaviour doesn’t always reflect their attitude.

Question 10

Remember the titans inconsistency example

Answer 10

The attitudes of the parents of the white players:

Cognitive - they don’t believe that the team should be mixed race

Affective - they dislike that their children are in a team with black players

Behavioural - they still go to the game to watch their children

Question 11

(Westen, Burton & Kowalski)

Answer 11

“A person’s attitudes and behaviour are not always consistent and sometimes a person’s attitude and observable behaviour will be unrelated or only slightly related”

Question 12

define prejudice

Answer 12

When a person holds a negative attitude towards a member of a group based solely on their membership with that group.

• usually based on visible differences between people over which we have no control, e.g. race, age, gender

Question 13

define racism

Answer 13

Racism is a form of prejudice based on the assumed racial differences.

People in one racial group think that their values, social norms and behaviours are superior to those in another group.

Question 14

(Walker)

Answer 14

Stereotypes of the Aboriginal people as being drunk, lazy and dirty

Question 15

racism in Australia (Australian Psychological Society)

Answer 15

In 1995, a study of more than 2000 international university students showed that 73% of them had had a bad experience of discrimination while studying in Australia, some in the form of verbal abuse and others as physical

Question 16

define discrimination

Answer 16

The positive or negative behaviour that is directed towards a social group and its members.

e.g. ignoring, excluding, bullying

Question 17

3 components of prejudice

Answer 17

1 - stereotypes

2 - negative feelings

3 - a tendency to act in a discriminatory way

Question 18

define stereotypes

Answer 18

A form of social categorisation based on what others presume to be shared features.

o Oversimplified beliefs, e.g. all Italians talk loudly and wave their hands a lot

Stereotypical thinking puts people into boxes and makes people think that the characteristics of some members apply to all the members in that group.

Question 19

remember the titans stereotypes

Answer 19

• When the teammates were getting to know each other, one of the white players assumed that a black person didn’t have a father, or that his father was unemployed - a common negative stereotype associated with black people

Question 20

describe negative feelings

Answer 20

Includes feelings of dislike and hostility.

• If negative feelings are accompanied by discrimination, the prejudiced person way be fearful of being attacked

Question 21

remember the titans negative feelings

Answer 21

• The white people didn’t like that the black people were moving into their schools, neighbourhoods and sports teams.

Question 22

describe tendency to act in a discriminatory way

Answer 22

o Ignoring behaviour, excluding behaviour, bullying behaviour etc.

Question 23

remember the titans discriminatory behaviour

Answer 23

• Petey, Blue and Rev were refused service at a restaurant, as the owner didn’t want black people to be seen dining there.
• White people protesting the black people coming into the school
• Gerry’s girl friend, Emma, initially refuses to shake Julius’ hand. However, by the end of the movie, she goes and shakes his hand, which tells us that she no longer has prejudice against the black people.
• If Coach Booene loses a single game, they will fire him and replace him with Coach Yoast (inequality as they wouldn’t of done the same if the coach was white)

Question 24

what are the causes of racism

Answer 24

1. ingroups and outgroups

2. intergroup competition

Question 25

describe ingroups and outgroups

Answer 25

according to Gordon Allport (American psychologist) people tend to categorise themselves and others into groups:

— in-group = any group that you belong to or identify with (we tend to categorise in-group members as the same as ourselves and in a positive way)

— out-group = any members of a group that isn’t your group (We tend to categorise out-group members as less like ourselves and in a more negative way)

Question 26

(Hewstone, Rubin & Willis)

Answer 26

Research studies have provided evidence of this type of attitude and behaviour in both adults and children

Question 27

movie inter-groups and outer-groups example

Answer 27

start of the movie:
ingroup = same race
outgroup = opposite race

end of the movie
ingroup = teammates (regardless of race)
outgroup = other teams (regardless of race)

Question 28

describe intergroup competition

Answer 28

occurs when members from different groups compete to achieve or control something that is wanted by the members of each group

• negative attitudes towards people with sought-after resources
• negative attitudes towards if you have the sought-after resource, because you view them as a threat

Question 29

movie intergroup competition example

Answer 29

> white football players were scared of losing their positions when black students joined the team

> Coach Booene (black) was accused of stealing Coach Yoast’s job (white) when he placed him

Question 30

ways racism can be reduced

Answer 30

1. intergroup contact (sustained, contact hypothesis)
2. mutual interdependence
3. superordinate goals
4. equality of status
5. cognitive interventions

Question 31

what is intergroup contact

Answer 31

refers to the increased direct contact between 2 groups who are prejudiced against each other, e.g. the black and white people

Question 32

what is sustained contact

Answer 32

the belief that ongoing contact , either directly or indirectly over a period of time will break down a stereotype that was substantially based on minimal information obtained from secondary sources.

Question 33

sustained contact movie example

Answer 33

> Before leaving for camp, Coach Booene splits the team into 2 groups - offence and defence. He then pairs up the people in each group - a white person with a black person, and tells them they have to sit together on the bus and live together as roommates for the duration of the camp.

> Each teammate had to spend time with a different teammate of the opposite race each day and report back to Coach Booene about what they learnt about them.

Question 34

contact hypothesis meaning

Answer 34

• developed by Allport,
• proposes that close prolonged contact of a direct nature (face-to-face) leads to re-evaluation of incorrect stereotypes about the other group and its members.

Question 35

according to Allport, prejudice is most likely reduced through contact when…

Answer 35

1. The members of the 2 groups have equal status
2. Have common goals
3. Work cooperatively
4. Have institutional support for the contact

Question 36

what is mutual interdependence

Answer 36

the belief that two different groups must have contact that makes them dependent on each other to reduce prejudice

Question 37

movie mutual interdependence examples

Answer 37

> As the team is mixed racial, both racial groups had to rely on each other to win games.

> Coach Booene helped Lastik improve his grades so he could go to college

Question 38

superordinate goals meaning

Answer 38

a goal that cannot be achieved by any group alone and overrides other existing goals which each group might have.

Question 39

movie superordinate goals examples

Answer 39

> Both racial groups want to win and, as Coach Booene said, “be perfect” and have the “perfect season”.

> to avoid 3 day practices the players all had to get to know another player from the opposite race each day.

Question 40

what is equality of status

Answer 40

The importance of the group when compared with another group, as perceived by members of the group making the comparison

Question 41

equality os status movie example

Answer 41

> Coach Booene tells the team that playing time is given to people who deserve it, regardless of what race they are.

> When boarding the bus, Coach Booene tells the teammates that he is their ‘daddy’ and their teammates are their ‘brothers’

Question 42

what are cognitive interventions

Answer 42

involves changing the way someone thinks about prejudice.

• Paying closer attention to personal attributes rather than focussing on race, ethnicity etc.
• Understanding where prejudice comes from and how to reduce it

Question 43

movie cognitive interventions examples

Answer 43

> both groups were aware that they had to work together despite their racial differences to win games, especially to win against teams that only had white players

> Coach Booene made the two groups learn about each other by getting them all to spend time with a teammate of the opposite race each day

Question 44

what did Patricia Devine propose

Answer 44

that reducing a prejudiced attitude requires a 3-step process -

1. must decide their prejudiced attitude is wrong and reject prejudice and stereotyped thinking
2. make non-prejudiced beliefs an important part of their self-concept
3. learn to suppress prejudicial reactants and replace them with non-prejudiced responses

Question 45

(Huffman)

Answer 45

Devine proposed that is is important we make a conscious effort to see each person as he or she really is: a unique individual