EXAM 3 STUDY GUIDE

Chapter 9: Prejudice

Key Concepts

• Prejudice vs. Stereotypes vs. Discrimination

  • Prejudice: Preconceived negative judgment of a group and its individual members
    • Forms include religious, obesity, sexual orientation, age, immigrant, and political prejudices.
    • Associated with affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions (ABCs of Attitude).
  • Stereotypes: Beliefs about the personal attributes of a group
    • Often overgeneralized and inaccurate.
    • Can be positive or negative.
  • Discrimination: Unjustified negative behavior toward a group based on prejudicial attitudes.

• Racism and Sexism

  • Racism: Prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behavior toward a race.
  • Sexism: Prejudicial attitudes and discriminatory behavior based on sex.

Implicit and Explicit Attitudes

• Dual Attitude System
  • Implicit: Automatic, unconscious attitudes.
  • Explicit: Conscious attitudes.
• Implicit Association Test (IAT): Assesses implicit cognition.

Racial Prejudice

• Still prevalent; perspectives differ by race.
• Influenced by historical context and lived experience.

Subtle Forms of Prejudice

• Employment discrimination
• Favoritism in services (e.g., AirBnB, Uber/Lyft)
• Police interactions
• Patronization: Race sensitivity leading to overpraise.

Automatic Prejudice

• Can have life-or-death consequences.
• Studies show implicit biases influence perceptions and actions.

Gender Stereotypes and Sexism

• Gender stereotypes: Beliefs about how genders differ.
• Benevolent vs. Hostile Sexism
  • Benevolent Sexism: Appears positive but limits independence.
  • Hostile Sexism: Overt and aggressive.

Global Gender Discrimination

• Western: #MeToo movement highlights ongoing bias.
• Non-Western: Strong gender biases present.

Social Sources of Prejudice

• Influenced by social status, parental socialization, and institutional support.
• Authoritarian Personality: Intolerance for weakness and submission to authority.

Motivational Sources of Prejudice

• Social Identity Theory: Ingroup bias and identity.
• Scapegoat Theory: Frustration leads to displaced aggression.

Breaking Prejudice

• Awareness and motivation to change implicit beliefs can reduce prejudice.

Cognitive Sources of Prejudice

• Categorization: Natural but can lead to stereotyping.
• Spontaneous Categorization and Outgroup Homogeneity Effect: Overgeneralization.

Distinctiveness and Perceptions

• Distinctiveness: Highlights differences and can lead to illusory correlations.

Stereotype Threat

• Concerns about being judged based on stereotypes can impact performance.

Chapter 10: Aggression

Definition and Forms

• Aggression: Behavior intended to cause harm.
• Physical Aggression: Physical harm.
• Social Aggression: Emotional harm, includes cyberbullying.

Biological Theories of Aggression

• Instinct Theory: Aggression as innate and adaptive.
• Neural Influences: Brain areas linked to aggression.
• Genetic Influences: Hereditary aspects.
• Biochemical Influences: Role of substances like alcohol and testosterone.

Frustration-Aggression Theory

• Frustration can lead to aggression, especially with triggers.
• Displacement: Redirecting aggression to safer targets.

Social Learning and Aggression

• Social Learning Theory: Observing and imitating aggressive behavior.
• Bobo Doll Experiment: Demonstrated imitated aggression.

Media Influence

• Media and Aggression: Violence in media can increase aggression.
• Video Games: Violent games linked to increased aggression.

Group Influence

• Groups can amplify aggression through shared responsibility.

Study Tips

• Focus on understanding differences between key terms in prejudice (e.g., prejudice, stereotype, discrimination).
• Remember real-world examples and studies mentioned (e.g., IAT, Bobo Doll experiment).
• Consider both biological and social learning aspects when studying aggression.
• Review the social sources of prejudice and how they perpetuate biases.