Workshop 1 - Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination

17 important questions on Workshop 1 - Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination

What factors bias our perception?

- Attention (limited cognitive resources)
- Illusory correlation (judgemental brains)
- Confirmation bias (resistant to change)

What are the 3 strategies to revise our biased stereotypical beliefs?

- The bookkeeping model (each piece of info gradually modifies beliefs e.g. pictures on cigarette packages)
- Conversion model (a powerful, salient piece of info radically changes beliefs)
- Subtyping model (new subtype belief is created to accommodate, e.g. hire one female engineer, men get used to it, than they hire more)

How do prejudices affect the world other than the person with the prejudice?

- They influence behaviour of people who do not necessarily believe in them
- They influence the behaviour and performance of the member of a stereotyped group
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What is the stereotype threat?

Apprehension that one's behaviour might confirm a negative cultural stereotype.
1. Creates performance deficits
2. Depends on activated mind-set
3. Pronounced when domain is important to self

What is a stereotype?

A generalisation about a group of people in which certain traits are assigned to virtually all members of the group, regardless of actual variation among the members.

What is out-group homogeneity?

Our brain is limited, and although we perceive the differences in the members of the group we belong to (intra-group heterogeneity), we tend to not see those differences in groups we don't belong to, as our brains try to make sense of the world by departmentalising it. This leads to the creation of stereotypes.

How do trusted others teach us about stereotypes?

They teach us implicitly and explicitly about what roles people perform in society. E.g. We learn that women are nurturing and men provide for their family.

How do we learn about stereotypes from (social) media?

We watch tv series or commercials etc. in which certain stereotypes are imposed on us.

How does limited exposure to other groups teach us about stereotypes?

Leads to out-group homogeneity, we see the people in other groups as more similar to each other than the people in our group.

What is a prejudice?

A (negative) attitude towards a distinguishable group of people based solely on their membership of that group.

Why do stereotypes turn into prejudices?

1. The opinion gives us self-esteem, in-group bias (social identity theory)
2. Competition over limited resources (realistic conflict theory)

What is in-group bias?

Positive feeling and special treatment for the members of your group, negative feeling and unfair treatment for the out-group

What is the contact hypothesis?

That merely bringing the members of different groups into contact with each other will erode prejudice.

What is the critique on the contact hypothesis?

That not all contact will erode prejudice, only when the contact arouses pleasant and positive experiences.

What are the 6 conditions when contact can reduce prejudice?

1. mutual interdependence (most important)
2. A common goal
3. Equal status of group members
4. Having informal interpersonal contact
5. Having multiple contacts with several members of the out-group
6. When social norms are in place that promote equality

What is imagined intergroup contact?

A mental simulation of a social interaction with a member or members of an out-group category. Can be used to erode prejudice, when it's impossible to come in contact with the other group.

What are the best ways to banish discriminatory practices from the workplace?

1. Monitor statistics (hiring, promotion rate, speed, salary, etc.)
2. Broaden the recruitment base
3. Multiple, diverse raters or interviewers
4. Transparency, pre-set processes, criteria, rationales for decision making
5. Build norms of equality

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