theories of prejudice - social identity theory and realisitc conflict theory

Question 1

what is social identity theory?

Answer 1

a theory that explains how an individuals self-concept is influenced by their membership in social groups

Question 2

who came up with social identity theory and when?

Answer 2

tajfel and turner (1979)

Question 3

what are the three components of social identity theory?

Answer 3

• social categorisation
• social identification
• social comparison

Question 4

what is social categorisation?

Answer 4

the process of dividing people into in-groups (us) and out-groups (them) based on shared characteristics

Question 5

what is social identification?

Answer 5

the process of aligning yourself with an in-group and adopting its values, norms, and behaviours

Question 6

what is social comparison?

Answer 6

evaluating your own group (in-group) against other groups (out-groups) to maintain positive self-esteem

Question 7

what is in-group favouritism?

Answer 7

preferring and rewarding members of your own group over members of out-groups

Question 8

what is out-group discrimination?

Answer 8

treating members of the out-group unfairly or negatively due to their perceived differences

Question 9

what is the role of self-esteem in social identity theory?

Answer 9

social identity theory suggests that people strive to maintain/enhance their self esteem, through positive group membership and in-group favouritism

Question 10

what study supports social identity theory?

Answer 10

tajfel’s minimal groups studies (1971)

Question 11

what is realistic conflict theory?

Answer 11

theory proposed by sherif (1966) that suggests intergroup[ conflict arises when groups compete for limited resources, leading to prejudice and discrimination

Question 12

who came up with realistic conflict theory and when?

Answer 12

sherif (1966)

Question 13

what are the key concepts of realistic conflict theory?

Answer 13

• competition for resources
• in-group and out-group formation
• zero-sum situations

Question 14

what is a zero-sum situation?

Answer 14

a situation where one groups gain is perceived as another groups loss

Question 15

how does competition lead to prejudice according to realistic conflict theory?

Answer 15

competition creates tension between groups, fostering negative stereotypes, in-group favouritism, and out-group discrimination.

Question 16

what is an example of a real-world application of realistic conflict theory?

Answer 16

conflicts between communities eg. ethnic groups or nations, often occur over resources like land, jobs or political power

israel vs palestine

Question 17

what study supports realistic conflict theory?

Answer 17

sherif robbers cave experiment (1954)

Question 18

what are superordinate goals?

Answer 18

goals that require cooperation between groups to achieve, reducing hostility and fostering intergroup harmony