Prejudice: Causes and Cures

12 important questions on Prejudice: Causes and Cures

How can you try to eliminate stereotype-mindsets?

By Implementing counter-stereotype mind-sets. So when conducting a math test, you tell the women that they are students at a very selective college. This will lessen the negative stereotype in their mind that women aren't good at math, and strengthen the positive stereotype that students of selective colleges are really smart.

What are the 4 aspects of social life that can cause prejudice?


1. pressures to conform: normative rules (institutional discrimination is very present in today's society, and because we feel pressure to conform, we tend to go along with the reigning prejudices and stereotypes (the norm), etc. Norms change often however, and because of that prejudices too)
2. Social categorisation: us vs. them (leads to in-group bias and out-group homogeneity)
3. How we assign meaning: attributional biases (fundamental attribution error, leads to ultimate attribution error)
4. Economic competition

The justification-suppression model of prejudice

People struggle between expressing their prejudice and their need to have a positive self-concept. But it requires energy to suppress the prejudice and thus we look for information that justifies our negative attitude, so we can act against them and avoid cognitive dissonance.
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

What is the ultimate attribution error?

The tendency to make dispositional attributions about an entire group of people.

What is blaming the victim?

The tendency to blame victims for their victimisation (attribute their predicaments to certain characteristics of the group). Typically motivated by a desire to see the world as a fair place.

How can we change stereotypical beliefs?

Bombard people with many examples inconsistent with their stereotype and they'll gradually modify their beliefs.

What is making dispositional attributes?

To leap to the conclusion that a person's behaviour is due to some aspect of his/her personality rather than to some aspect of the situation
--> makes stereotypes insidious and persistent

How can presenting people with prejudices with the right information lead to strengthened stereotypes?

The dis-confirming evidence made them think extra hard of reasons why it was just for them to hold on to their stereotypes.

What is mutual interdependence?

The situation that exists when two groups need to depend on one another to accomplish a goal that both find important.

What is a jigsaw classroom?

A classroom setting designed to reduce prejudice and raise self-esteem of children by placing them in small, desegregated groups and make them mutually interdependent of each other.

Which two conditions have to be met to reduce prejudice and raise self-esteem with contact?

- Both groups are of equal status
- Both groups share a common goal

Key factors in the succes of contact:

- mutual interdependence
- common goal
- equal status
- contact in a friendly, informal setting
- multiple contacts: contact with different people from the out-group
- social norms that promote and support equality among groups are operating in the situation

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo