Stereotypes Flashcards
What is a stereotype?
Belief that members of a group share certain attributions
What is prejudice?
Negative feelings towards members of a group. Includes overgeneralization, and affects everyone. Usually from a majority group to a minority
What is discrimination?
Negative, harmful behaviours towards members of a group ex: Racism, sexism
What is modern racism?
Racism that surfaces in subtle ways when it’s safe and socially accepted-less overt in nature.
What is implicit racism?
Racism that operates unconsciously.
What did Viglione et al find with black women in prisons?
12000 are in prison. Looked at pairs of women found guilty for the same crimes-lighter skined black women had 12% less prison time.
What did Baron and Banaj find about implicit racism in children?
6 year old children showed a strong preference to white children over black.
This reduced by age 10, gone in adulthood, however the implicit racism remained.
What does it mean that gender stereotypes are descriptive and prescriptive?
Descriptive-tell you how you should be
Prescriptive- tell you what you should do
What are some contrasting ideas on success in men and women?
Men-when successful, attribute to ability
Women-when successful, attribute to hard working.
Are young girls known to downplay or up play their ability?
Downplay
What did Jacob and Eccles discover with mothers and daughters in regard to perceived math abilities?
Mothers with gender stereotypes-believed girls are worse at math
No gender stereotypes-don’t see a difference
What are the 2 types of ambivalent sexism?
Hostile and benevolent
What is benevolent sexism?
Affectionate towards women, but still hold potentially negative beliefs
What is hostile sexism?
Negative, and resentful feelings towards women
What did Madera et al discover about female versus male reeference letters?
Female and male recommenders used more “doubt raisers” for women.
What is a stigma?
Being stereotypes and perceived as deviant and being devalued in society.
What is the stereotype threat?
Fear that we will be reduced to just a stereotype-reaction to this threat can interfere with performance and cause the self-fulfilling prophecy (internalization)
How can the stereotype threat interfere with performance and cause the self-fulfilling prophecy?
1) Increased stress can cause us to focus more on emotions rather than the task
2) Self-monitoring: worrying about mistakes disrupts attention
3) Suppression of unwanted thoughts takes mental energy
What are some of the causes of the stereotype threat?
Authoritarianism, categorization and groups, ingroup versus outgroup bias
What is authoritarianism?
Personality type characterized by prejudice towards any group perceived to be different than oneself. Low openness, low conscientiousness.
What is categorization and groups and what can it lead to?
Classification of persons into groups on the basis of attributes-natural and adaptive saves time and energy. BUT leads to an overestimation of differences between groups and underestimation of differences within.
What can ingroup and outgroup bias cause people to do?
We tend to like people we have identified as being part of our ingroup more than others. Exaggerate differences within outgroup and belief that the outgroup is all the same
What contributes to the ingroup bias?
Self-esteem- we seek to enhance self esteem through having a group, only works if we see group as being superior to others.
What is the minimal group paradigm?
When complete strangers are formed into groups using trivial criteria-results in liking of their own group more, rating them as having better personalities, providing more rewards when possible
What is outgroup homogeneity?
Often do not notice subtle differences among outgroups because we have little personal contact with them
How did Van Bavel et al demonstrate outgroup homogeneity?
Participants saw photos of an unfamiliar black or white face. Greater activity in fusiform gyrus (face area) for ingroup. Greater activation means stronger self-reported preferences.
What is dehumanizing the outgroup?
Perceivers may actually process faces of outgroup as objects rather than people.
How was WW2 caused by dehumanizing the outgroup?
Increased social pressure that resulted in dehumanization-factors such as difficult life conditions, respect for authority, gradual escalation of aggression, passive bystanders
What is social dominance orientation?
Desire to see one’s ingroup as dominant over others-willingness to adopt cultural values that facilitate oppression over others.
What is system justification theory?
Processes that may endorse and legitimize existing social arrangements.
Why does system justification theory happen?
Because we like to have positive attitudes about the institutions we value and will defend them even if their actions are immoral. We do this because it reduces uncertainty, gives a sense of safety, and fosters a sense of belonging.
What is the stereotype content model?
Relative status and competition between 2 groups (an example is the Robbers Cave Experiment)
What is the realistic conflict theory?
Conflict arises when resources are scarce-amount of conflict determines between-group prejudice
How did the Robbers Cave Experiment fix the relationship of the two groups?
By having them work together on tasks.
What are the two components of the social identity theory?
1) Personal identity
2) Social identities according to groups we choose to affiliate with
Creates ingroup and outgroup bias
How does self-esteem tie into social identity theory?
The heart of social identity theory. Attacks on group equate to an attack on the self-increased self-esteem with group or personal achievement
What are the 2 predictions made by self-esteem in the social identity theory?
1) Threats to one’s self-esteem heighten the need for ingroup favouritism
2) Expressions of ingroup favouritism enhance self-esteem
What is Shadenfreude?
Experiencing pleasure at the misfortune of others- stronger group identity means less empathy to others.q
How did Fein and Spencer demonstrate self-esteem?
Participants either received negative or positive feedback and then were asked to evaluate a female job applicant (either Jewish or not). Results: 1) Lowered self-esteem caused people to evaluate jewish woman more negatively. 2) Lowered self esteem+ the opportunity to belittle= increased self-esteem
How do collectivist societies show ingroup and outgroup bias?
Are less likely to favour the ingroup to boost self-esteem. Can see both the good and the bad in their group. BUT may have less trust in outgroups. (Reverse in North America)
What is socialization?
Process by which people learn norms, rules, and information of a culture/group .Learn how valued and devalued certain groups are and what prejudices are acceptable
When do we start to understand gender stereotypes?
Aged 2
What does Gerianne Alexander argue when it comes to gender and toy preferences?
Toy preferences are based on gender and inborn factors-argues that there are evolutionary contributors to toy preferences.
What is social role theory?
Idea that real sex differences are magnified in perception by the contrasting social roles by men and women
What is the 3 step process of social role theory?
1) Combination of biological and social factors=emergence of the division of labour
2) people behave in ways that fit the role they play
3) Behavioural differences provide the continual basis for social perception
How does the media affect gender stereotyping?
Exposure to images that perpetuate stereotypes and discrimination-can influence both mens and womens attitudes. BUT it can also promote positive norms
How do we use the confirmation bias in stereotyping?
By attending to information that confirms our beliefs
What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?
Occur when expectations about a person cause him or her to behave in ways that confirm expectations (ex: teachers expectations can influence marks)
What are some of the ways that stereotypes survive?
Illusory correlations, Subtyping, Subliminal presentation
What are illusory correlations?
The tendency for people to overestimate a link between variables that are only slightly correlated or not at all. Tend to do this more when variables are distinctive or expected to go together
Whate is subtyping?
When exceptions to the stereotype are placed in a separate category (ex: woman who is strong-placed in separate category from all other women)
What is subliminal presentation?
When stimuli is presented so rapidly people are not aware of exposure (can show automatic stereotyping)
What is the Shooter Bias?
Study: quick presentation of images of people with guns and without. People were more likely to shoot the black guy without a gun
What is Allports Contact Hypothesis?
Under certain conditions, direct contact between hostile groups will reduce prejudice
What are the 4 conditions of Allports Hypothesis?
1) Equal status-contact gives 2 groups equal status
2) Personal Interaction
3) Cooperative activities
4) Institutional support-group leaders or other authority figures support contact between groups
What is the Ingroup Identity model (2 parts)?
Decategorization-pay less attention to categories and boundaries
Recategorization- change conception of group for more inclusive sense of own ingroup
How did Riek et al demonstrate the ingroup identity model?
Republican versus Demoncrat-framed question as being about Americans and found more positive reactions from both sides for the other side
How can trust help with the stereotype threat?
Having trust and safety in a situation reduces the stereotype threat
How did Dasgupta et al demonstrate trust in the stereotype threat?
Had female engineers and assigned them to work in one of 3 groups: 1) All female. 2) All male. 3) Mixed. Found enhanced performance in the all female group
How does self-control play into the stereotype threat?
People stereotype and show prejudice even when they would rather not. Ability to cognitively control takes mental effort (age, intoxication, exhaustion can increase effort for cognitive control).
What is external motivation?
When one doesn’t want to appear prejudiced in front of others.
What is internal motivation?
When one doesn’t want to BE prejudiced-this one is more successful as guilt plays a role and there is enhanced trigger recognition.
