SP: Perceiving groups

Question 1

Define discrimination

Answer 1

Positive or negative behaviour towards a social group and its members

Question 2

Define prejudice

Answer 2

Positive or negative evaluation of a social group and its members

Question 3

Define stereotypes

Answer 3

Mental representation or impression people have of a social group by associating particular characteristics or emotions with that social group

Question 4

What is meant by a social group?

Answer 4

Two or more people who share some common characteristic that is socially meaningful for themselves or for others.

Question 5

What is meant by social categorisation?

Answer 5

Social categorization is the process of identifying individual people as members of a social group because they share certain features that are typical of the group.

Question 6

What is the result of people focusing on similarities?

Answer 6

Causes us to overestimate the uniformity and underestimate the diversity

Question 7

What is the effect of social categorisation on our perception?

Answer 7

Makes people seem more similar or different than they actually are

Question 8

How may a positive stereotype have negative consequences?

Answer 8

It can ignore people’s individuality, set unrealistic standards or it may be part of a paternalised set of beliefs about a social group which actually reinforces their weaknesses and dependency.

Question 9

How might accurate stereotypes form?

Answer 9

People sort themselves into groups and this creates real group differences that may be reflected in stereotypes. Some stereotypes are accurate, although exaggerated.

Question 10

Where did people initially think hatred for groups had its roots?

Answer 10

The inner conflicts of those with authoritarian personalities, those who cannot accept their own hostility and see their own inadequacies in others.

Question 11

What effect can a single group members negative act have?

Answer 11

A single group member’s negative act can activate negative thoughts about the entire group.

Question 12

What is the effect of trying to summarise the information we receive during interactions with a group member?

Answer 12

Can often lead to bias and exaggeration

Question 13

Why does trying to summarise the information often lead to bias and exaggeration?

Answer 13

Emotion- A lack of knowledge or familiarity of members of a group can give rise to certain emotions, which biases future interactions.
Distictive individual- People that are distinctive tend to be remembered more and distinctive behaviour has the greatest impact on the impressions we form of groups
Correspondence bias - Our stereotypes often reflect the social roles occupied by those groups. Stereotypes might not reflect what groups are actually like, but only what roles group play in society, relative to the perceiver. (jewish people frugal, Irish immigrants)
Media- helps convey stereotypes. This can bias future interactions.

Question 14

How else can emotion lead to bias and exaggeration?

Answer 14

People can have certain goals or motives in cross group interactions which can give rise to certain emotions and influence future encounters. People can also act in a way to counter the stereotype which can lead to negative emotions

Question 15

Which bias is mentioned in relevance to the effect of the distinctive individual?

Answer 15

Illusory correlation- when people perceive a correlation between two variables which doesn’t exist

Question 16

What drive/desire may be a motive to accept stereotypes?

Answer 16

Connectedness and the need to find similar people

Question 17

What is meant by social norms?

Answer 17

Social norms are generally accepted ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that people in a group agree on and endorse as right and proper

Question 18

What is the effect of social communication on stereotypes?

Answer 18

Stereotypes may become stronger through the process of social communication. Second-hand impressions are more stereotypical than first-hand impressions even after meeting the group first hand after.

Question 19

What other function do stereotypes play in regards to social groups?

Answer 19

Justifying existing roles of social group

Question 20

What world view can lead people to become more prejudice?

Answer 20

That the world is naturally just and people get what they deserve

Question 21

What is the only way a stereotype can influence judgements or actions and what is the likely ways this can come about?

Answer 21

If it comes to mind, The more salient cues are to category membership, the more likely that category and the related stereotypes will be activated

Question 22

What is likely to arise stereotypes in a group situation?

Answer 22

Admitting a single member of a previously excluded group can increase the likelihood of stereotyped thinking. (Noah)

Question 23

How does using a category more just lead to it being used even more?

Answer 23

The more often a category is used, the more accessible it becomes. The more accessible a stereotype is, the more often it is used.

Question 24

Can either stereotypes or prejudice be activated automatically? Or neither? Or both?

Answer 24

Both Dawg

Question 25

What is meant by implicit measures?

Answer 25

Implicit measures are measurement methods used to measure implicit stereotypes or prejudice.

Question 26

Comment on the accuracy of implicit measures and how people may perceive results

Answer 26

Although implicit measures are not always correct. It is possible that some people are not completely consciously aware of their stereotypes.

Question 27

What factors can affect implicit measures?

Answer 27

Implicit measures are affected by situational factors.

Question 28

When do stereotypes have a greater effect?

Answer 28

When there is a time pressure and intense emotions involved

Question 29

Name three types of effects on the use of stereotypes

Answer 29

Cognitive capacity- If a condition causes a limited cognitive capacity they may be more likely to stereotype. This includes time pressure and complexity of information. When they are not thinking right (tired, in the morning etc) they will also stereotype more. Familiarity also effects cognitive capacity.
Emotion - Emotion can have an impact on whether people stereotype
Power- sometimes people with power stereotype more or stereotype less, this depends on whether stereotypes are useful in their work

Question 30

When thinking of a national or ethic group, which members are more likely to pop into your mind?

Answer 30

Men

Question 31

What does research suggest about stereotypes that are suppressed?

Answer 31

They are likely top rebound and be more accessible.

Question 32

What motivation type exhibits more stereotype control?

Answer 32

High internal motivation, low external

Question 33

What is a more effective strategy than stereotype suppression

Answer 33

Exposing oneself to information that goes against the stereotype

Question 34

Why may people perceive their stereotypes being proven?

Answer 34

People tend to notice and remember what we expect to see and what we expect to see is highly reliant on stereotypes. People tend to look for stereotype-confirming information and not for stereotype-disconfirming information.

Question 35

What is the product of special processing an individual’s behaviour in an out group?

Answer 35

auses us to change impressions of individuals, but rarely of groups.

Question 36

How may information we collect not be completely objective?

Answer 36

The way information is interpreted is also prone to stereotypical bias. Stereotypes cause us to shift our standards for judgements on subjective characteristic (e.g: a woman the same height as a man is tall, while the man is not)

Question 37

How does the self fulfilling prophecy relate to stereotypes?

Answer 37

People might elicit stereotype-consistent behaviour. People’s actions often elicit information that confirms and maintains their group stereotypes.

Question 38

What is meant by the contact hypothesis?

Answer 38

The contact hypothesis states that contact with individual members who violate the group stereotype should reduce the stereotype. Contact that contradicts a stereotype might now undermine a stereotype.

Question 39

Name three ways why may this not work in certain people?

Answer 39

People often explain information away that is inconsistent with a stereotype. People sometimes defend their stereotypes by resorting to specific subtypes. People also tend to defend their stereotypes by seeing stereotype disconfirming individuals as remarkable or exceptional people

Question 40

What is meant by subtypes?

Answer 40

A narrower and more specific group within a broad social group.

Question 41

What is meant by contrast effects regarding stereotypes?

Answer 41

The view that those group members that violate the stereotype are atypical of the group, so atypical that their actions have no effect on the stereotype of the typical group.

Question 42

What factors effect the effectiveness of the contact

Answer 42

Effective contact has to provide stereotype-inconsistent information that is repeated, that involves many group members and that comes from typical group members. Contact that is forced, rather than voluntary has stronger effects on reducing prejudice.

Question 43

How can people explaining away the exceptions be solved

Answer 43

Repeated inconsistencies with the current stereotype

Question 44

How can people blaming subtypes be resolved?

Answer 44

Widespread inconsistencies

Question 45

How can contrast effects be resolved?

Answer 45

Typical as well as inconsistent

Question 46

How do these methods translate to prejudice?

Answer 46

The types of contact that can eliminate stereotypes can also reduce prejudice, although prejudice is also activated by other things. A single positive encounter with a member of another group may be sufficient to reduce prejudicial evaluations. Contact can reduce group prejudice.