Unit 2, AOS 2: Stereotypes, prejudice & discrimination

Question 1

Person perception

Answer 1

Mental processes we use to make conclusions about other’s personal characteristics.

Question 2

Cognitive dissonance

Answer 2

Feeling of discomfort knowing there is inconsistency between behaviour and attitude.

Question 3

Cognitive/cognition

Answer 3

Mental processes of acquiring knowledge and understanding.

Question 4

Social cognition

Answer 4

How we make sense of our social world

Question 5

Halo effect

Answer 5

Cognitive bias of the impression we form about one physical quality which influences our beliefs/expectations about the person in other qualities.

Question 6

Non-verbal communication

Answer 6

Communicating without words, including facial expressions, eye contact and other gestures.

Question 7

Attribution

Answer 7

Explanation of behaviour

Question 8

Personal attribution

Answer 8

Explanation due to characteristics of a person

Question 9

Situational attribution

Answer 9

Explanation due to external factors

Question 10

Fundamental attribution error

Answer 10

Overestimating influence of personal factors and underestimating influence of situational factors.

Question 11

Actor-observer bias

Answer 11

Attribute own behaviour to external causes, yet attribute others’ behaviour to internal factors

Question 12

Self-serving bias

Answer 12

Take credit for own successes but attribute failures to situational factors.

Question 13

Individualist culture

Answer 13

Independence is valued and encouraged. Personal goals > group goals.

Question 14

Collectivist culture

Answer 14

Teamwork is valued and encouraged. Group goals > personal goals.

Question 15

Attitude

Answer 15

Evaluation about people, object, event or issue. Must be consistent, and can be positive, negative or neutral.

Question 16

Tri-component model of attitudes

Answer 16

Proposes that attitudes are made up of three components: affective, behavioural and cognitive.

Question 17

Affective component

Answer 17

Emotional feeling

Question 18

Behavioural component

Answer 18

How attitude is expressed

Question 19

Cognitive component

Answer 19

Thoughts and beliefs

Question 20

Attitude inconsistency

Answer 20

Behaviour can differ from affective or cognitive components.

Question 21

Consistent behaviour with attitudes depends on these factors

Answer 21

• strength of the attitude
• accessibility of the attitude
• social context
• perceived control

Question 22

Cognitive dissonance can be reduced through:

Answer 22

• changing attitude
• changing behaviour to suit attitude
• reducing importance we give to attitudes and behaviour
• add new elements to situation to support attitude/behaviour.

Question 23

Attitudes are learned through

Answer 23

• classical conditioning
• operant conditioning
• social learning
• repeated exposure

Question 24

Classical conditioning

Answer 24

Learning through repeated association of two things

Question 25

Social learning

Answer 25

Developing attitudes after observing others (especially people close to you/people you admire).

Question 26

Operant conditioning

Answer 26

Learning that involves repeating behaviour in response to rewards and decreasing behaviour in response to punishment.

Question 27

Repeated exposure

Answer 27

Attitude being formed from being constantly around an object/person/event. We develop positive attitudes towards familiarity.

Question 28

Stereotyping

Answer 28

Fitting people into categories based on pre-existing knowledge of people in the world.

Question 29

Prejudice

Answer 29

Holding negative attitude towards members of group based solely on their membership.

Question 30

Explicit prejudice

Answer 30

Openly thinking negatively of other people.

Question 31

Implicit prejudice

Answer 31

Subtle and expressed in ways more likely to be accepted.

Question 32

Prejudice is formed through

Answer 32

• social learning
• repeated exposure
• attributions
• stereotypes
• ingroups & outgroups

Question 33

Ingroup

Answer 33

Any group where you belong

Question 34

Outgroup

Answer 34

Any group where you do not belong

Question 35

Discrimination

Answer 35

Behaviour directed towards a social group and its members.

Question 36

Direct discrimination

Answer 36

Treating someone unfavourably because of personal characteristics.

Question 37

Indirect discrimination

Answer 37

Treating everybody the same way disadvantages someone because of personal characteristics.

Question 38

Methods to reduce prejudice

Answer 38

- intergroup contact
    (sustained contact)
    (equality of status)
    (mutual interdependence)
    (superordinate goals)
- cognitive interventions
- education
- direct experience

Question 38

Methods to reduce prejudice

Answer 38

- intergroup contact
    (sustained contact)
    (equality of status)
    (mutual interdependence)
    (superordinate goals)
- cognitive interventions
- education
- direct experience