Transcript Theories of Negative Contact & Prejudice

Theories & Concepts in Inter group Relations
A basic framework
Prejudice
Negative Contact
Discrimination
Stereotypes
Stephan & Stephan
Review of Definitions
• Prejudice=Negative attitudes
• Negative evaluations & feelings (E.g., Evaluations=I don’t
like…, Feelings=I hate)
• Stereotypes=Assumptions that members of a
certain group have a certain characteristic
• E.g., Asians are ‘smart’
– E.g., “Dear White Boss” article: Blacks are perceived as a group
when referred to as ‘them’ or ‘you people
• Discrimination-Unequal treatment or behavior
toward members of different groups
– E.g., Dear White Boss article, Black bosses with black
subordinates are more likely to be scrutinized
Review Qs
• Give an example distinguishing the three concepts
• What are the differences in consequences of
stereotypes vs. prejudice vs. discrimination
Negative Contact
Causes of
How to reduce it
Causes of Negative Contact
Situational
Factors
Societal Factors
Negative Contact
Person
Factors
Societal Factors
• Create equal status
conditions during contact
Situational
Factors
– E.g., match on SES,
education
Negative
Contact
• Remove barriers to equal
status
– E.g., Legislation
Person
Factors
Situational
Factors
Societal Factors
Negative Contact
Person factors
• Cognitive abilities (e.g., to
understand statistical info)
• Motivation (e.g., openness to change)
• Intensity of affect toward group
• Cognitions of other group
Situational Factors
• Cooperation b/w group members leads to positive
outcome
• Group identities are salient after positive outcome but
not before
• Contact is
• Not superficial
• Supported by respected authority figures
• Voluntary
• Task is engaging
Societal Factors
Negative Contact
Person
Factors
How to reduce Negative Contact b/w
Gays & Heterosexuals in Community
Situational Factors
e.g., create joint task in
community
Societal Factors
e.g., legislation
supporting gay
marriage
Reduced Negative Contact
Person Factors
e.g., liberal vs. conservative;
intensity of dislike
Overview of Lecture
Prejudice
Negative Contact
Discrimination
Stereotypes
Prejudice
Causes of
How to reduce it
Traditional Causes of Prejudice
• Perceived competition for
insufficient resources
• Threats involving
resources, values, anxiety,
stereotypes
• Belief that own group is
better
• Positive evaluation of in
group to boost self esteem
Prejudice
• Perceived competition for
insufficient resources
– Perceived over-rides actual threat
• E.g., Israel vs. Palestinian conflict
about land;
• USA/Canada vs. China and S. E.
Asian countries due to fewer jobs
Prejudice
Provide accurate information
about group differences
Reduce perceived competition
for resources
Reduce Prejudice
Traditional Causes of Prejudice
• Perceived competition for
insufficient resources
• Threats involving
resources, values, anxiety,
stereotypes
• Belief that own group is
better
• Positive evaluation of ingroup to boost self esteem
Prejudice
• Anxiety about interacting
with out-group because
expect negative outcomes
• E.g., expect interactions w/Black
male as being hostile
• Perceive out-group values as
Perceived
threatening
Threat
• E.g., value of hedonism
• Negative stereotypes of outgroup are threatening
• E.g., Blacks perceived as
threatening bec. of skin colour
& facial features
Prejudice
Enable positive face-face interactions
Reduce Anxiety about
interacting with out-group
Reduce Perceived Threat
Reduce
Prejudice
Traditional Causes of Prejudice
• Perceived competition for
insufficient resources
• Threats involving
resources, values, anxiety,
stereotypes
• Belief that own group is
better
• Positive evaluation of in
group to boost self esteem
Prejudice
Stretch in-group
boundaries to
include out-group
Highlight membership
in common in-groups
Increase similarity
Positive evaluation of outgroup members
now regarded as part of ingroup
Reduced Prejudice
Type of Exercise Similarity Concept highlighted
Being White is
like..”
How Visible minorities are similar
to Whites when students had to
apply the same statement for
Whites and VMs
Cultural circles Common struggle of talking about
oneself; lack of role models in
culture; of customs, values etc.
Pie chart
Shared group memberships
among students
Complex Causes of Prejudice
• Have positive & negative feelings toward outgroup
• E.g., sympathy vs. aversion
• Have negative feelings toward out-group but
value equality
• Have negative feelings toward out-group and
perceive differences in values
• E.g., in self-reliance
• Experience guilt for having negative thoughts
& feelings
Targeting Complex Causes of Prejudice
• Have negative feelings toward out-group but
value equality?
– Highlight feeling-value discrepancy
• Have negative feelings toward out-group and
perceive differences in values?
– Provide accurate information about out-group’s
values
This lecture vs. Next lecture
Prejudice
Negative Contact
Discrimination
Stereotypes