Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination Week 12

1. Stereotypes, Prejudice, and DiscriminationWeek 12

2. Basic definitions • Stereotype: • An cognitive attitude towards some group members, simply because they belong to a certain group • Prejudice • The affective component • Discrimination • The behavioral component

3. The Nature of Prejudice (Allport, 1954) • “The human mind must think with the aid of categories….once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends on it.”

4. This suggests that stereotyping is… • “natural” (or at least not completely unnatural) • not necessarily dysfunctional or even immoral

5. The “cognitive effort” hypothesis We are cognitive misers. Using stereotypes is an automatic, effortless process • People try not to use stereotypes • Not using stereotypes is effortful • Under conditions of cognitive load, stereotypes are more likely.

6. “Circadian Rhythm” study • Participants were white Americans. Morning People Afternoon People   Morning Afternoon Morning Afternoon (alert) (tired) (tired) (alert) Target race White Hispanic = = = = - + + - Bodenhausen (1990). Stereotypes as judgmental heuristics. Psy Sci.

7. What stereotypes do you have of… • Female beauty pageant contestants • Housewives • People with schizophrenia • Rich people • Elderly • Italian men

8. Stereotype content model • Stereotypes possess two independent dimensions: • warmth • & • competence Cuddy et al. (2008). Warmth and competence as universal dimensions of social perception. Adv Exp Soc Psy. Cuddy et al. (2009). Stereotype content model across cultures. Br J Soc Psy.

9. Stereotype content model • Welfare recipients • Asians, Jews, Rich people • Housewives, elderly • Ingroup, allies Cuddy et al. (2008). Warmth and competence as universal dimensions of social perception. Adv Exp Soc Psy. Cuddy et al. (2009). Stereotype content model across cultures. Br J Soc Psy.

10. Implications of stereotype content model • Contempt • Envy • E.g., benevolent sexism • Admiration

11. Behavioral implications of stereotype • Let’s play a “shooter game.”

12. Correll et al. (2002). The police officer’s dilemma. J Pers Soc Psy.

13. Stereotypes don’t just affect the way you treat others. • It also affects the way you treat yourself.

14. Stereotype threat • Self-stereotypes are not always salient • You have self-stereotypes of males and females • But you don’t always go about daily life enacting gendered activities • But when the situation is gender-relevant, stereotypes are consequential.

15. Evidence of stereotype threat • Girls sit for a math test. The test was described as: • “This test compares how well girls score relative to boys.” • OR • “This test is a trial to see whether the questions are appropriate.”

16. Ingroups and outgroups

17. Categorization creates order

18. Do people categorize each other? • Yes, all the time. But on the basis of what criteria? People can be categorized based on any trait

19. Outcomes of categorization • Categorization produces ingroup-outgroups. • Have trait = Ingroup • Don’t have trait = outgroup • The in-group/outgroup distinction then guides our behaviors.

20. Categorization guides downstream processes • A true story: My ex-TA was having lunch with me and my wife. • Wife: Are there any grocery stores that sell Asian food in Delhi? • Me: Err…but we are in Asia • What does it reveal? • Now, think back about the earlier example about Italian men. ?

21. Ingroup favoritism effect • People favor ingroup members. • (By definition, it means people do not favor outgroup members.) • Why? • Resource competition • Self-esteem (feels good to help someone similar to you) • But…what is an ingroup?

22. What is the minimal condition to produce a feeling of “ingroupness”? • Recall: On Week 7, we mentioned some factors leading to “entitativity”. • Similarity • Common fate • Proximity • Any ideas what is the barest minimum condition to produce entitativity?

23. Why is mere categorization creepy? • Turn to your partner. • List 5 similarities you have with him/her • List 5 differences you have with him/her • People differ on countless traits • People are similar on countless traits • People can categorize others based on very trivial traits • Focusing on trivial traits can spontaneously cause ingroup favoritism

24. Evidence: “minimal group” paradigm • A method for investigating the minimal conditions required for discrimination to occur between groups. • Part 1: participants are randomly divided into two groups based on trivial criteria (e.g., preference for paintings) • Part 2: Resource allocation game

25. Outgroup homogeneity • Don’t they all look the same to you???

26. My experience in Virginia

27. Outgroup homogeneity • It’s not only looks that seem similar. • People think traits of outgroup members are similar too!

28. The danger of outgroup homogeneity • Recall: Fundamental attribution error • the tendency to explain behaviors in terms of dispositions and neglect situational influences Now introducing… ULTIMATE ATTRIBUTION ERROR • The tendency to generalize behaviors of one individual to the whole “group”

29. Evidence • Female novelist write under a male (or hidden) pen name. • Jurors are more likely to convict someone whose name implies he’s Black.

30. Extreme danger of outgroup homogeneity: Dehumanization • mPFC is normally activated when we • 1. see other agents • 2. think about other nonhumans as humans (i.e., anthropomorphizing) • What happens to mPFC when one sees a picture of an outgroup e.g., homeless person? • Nothing. Harris & Fiske (2008). The brooms in Fantasia: Neural correlates of anthropomorphizing objects. Soc Cog. Harris & Fiske (2006). Dehumanizing the lowest of the low: Neuroimaging responses to extreme out-groups. Psy Sci.

31. How can we reduce prejudice and discrimination?

32. The contact hypothesis: Singapore • Public housing have a racial quota: 75% Chinese, 20% Malays, 5% Indians • Logic: desegregation

33. The contact hypothesis: • Original (naïve) view: • More opportunities contact  greater liking  less prejudice • Newer view: • Only effective when six conditions are met

34. The six conditions • Mutual independence • Common goal • Equal status • Informal interpersonal contact • Multiple contacts • Social norms of equality

35. There might be one other way • Calamity.

36. Class Discussion • India is divided along racial, ethnic, and religious faultlines. • How can social psychology help?