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8/22/2019 Attitudes & Prejudice
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Social Thinking:Attitudes & Prejudice
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Attitudes
What is an attitude?predisposition to evaluate some people, groups, or
issues in a particular way
can be negative or positiveHas three components
Cognitivethoughts about given topic or situation
Affectivefeelings or emotions about topic
Behavioralyour actions regarding the topic or situation
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Components of Attitudes An attitude is a positive or negative
evaluation of an object, person, or idea
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The Effect of Attitudes on
Behavior Youre most likely to behave in accordance
with your attitudes when
1. Attitudes are extreme or are frequentlyexpressed
2. Attitudes have been formed through direct
experience.
3. You are very knowledgeable about the subject.4. You have a vested interest in the subject.
5. You anticipate a favorable outcome or response
from others for doing so.
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Attitudes Affecting Actions
Many studies suggest a persons
attitudes do not match their actions
Attitudes can predict behavior if:
Outside influences are minimal
People are aware of their attitudesAttitude is relevant to behavior
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Actions Affecting Attitudes
Under some circumstances ones
actions can influence attitudes. They
include:
Foot-in-the-door phenomenon
Role playingCognitive dissonance
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Cognitive Dissonance
(Leon Festinger)
The theory that people act to reduce
the discomfort (dissonance) they feel
when their thoughts (cognitions) are
inconsistent with their actions
When our attitudes are inconsistentwith our actions, we change our
attitudes to reduce the dissonance.
1919-1989
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Cognitive Dissonance
Unpleasant state of psychological tension or
arousal that occurs when two thoughts or
perceptions are inconsistent Attitudes and behaviors are in conflict
it is uncomfortable for us
we seek ways to decrease discomfort caused bythe inconsistency
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How Cognitive DissonanceLeads to Attitude Change
When your behavior conflicts with your attitudes, an uncomfortablestate of tension is produced. However, if you can rationalize orexplain your behavior, the conflict (and the tension) is eliminatedor avoided. If you cant explain your behavior, you may changeyour attitude so that it is in harmony with your behavior.
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Insufficient-justification effect
Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) gave subjects a boring task, then asked subjects to lie to
the next subject and say the experiment was exciting
paid the subjects $1, other $20
then asked subjects to rate boringness of task $1 group rated the task as far more fun than the $20
group
each group needed a justification for lying
$20 group had an external justification of money since $1 isnt very much money, $1 group said task was fun
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Role PlayingCan be explained by Cognitive Dissonance
Playing a role can influence or change ones attitude
Zimbardos Prison Study
College students played the role of guard orprisoner in a simulated prison.
The study was ended after just 6 days when theguards became too aggressive and cruel.
Want to learn more about this famous study? Seethe Stanford Prison Experiment Online SlideShow or watch Stanford Prison Experiment video(8 minutes)
Modern issues of Prison Abusesee CNNReport on Juvenile Jails and Abuse3 min.
Dr. Phillip
Zimbardo
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/Prison_hall.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/experiments.htm&h=286&w=180&sz=33&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=7oCMTL3wQEqcdM:&tbnh=115&http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/Prison_hall.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/experiments.htm&h=286&w=180&sz=33&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=7oCMTL3wQEqcdM:&tbnh=115&http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/32_Social_StanfordPrison.mpghttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/Juvenile%20Jail%20Mistreatment%203%20min.avihttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/32_Social_StanfordPrison.mpghttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/Prison_hall.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/experiments.htm&h=286&w=180&sz=33&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=7oCMTL3wQEqcdM:&tbnh=115&http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/Prison_hall.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www3.niu.edu/acad/psych/Millis/History/2004/experiments.htm&h=286&w=180&sz=33&hl=en&start=18&tbnid=7oCMTL3wQEqcdM:&tbnh=115&8/22/2019 Attitudes & Prejudice
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Cognitive Dissonance: A Review
If you have a good excuse for a behavior
that does not go with your attitude then
you avoid dissonance.If you do not have a good excuse for a
behavior that is against your attitude you
must change your attitude to fit yourbehavior.
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Dissonance-Reducing Mechanisms
Avoiding dissonant informationwe attend to information in support of our
existing views, rather than information that
doesnt support them Firming up an attitude to be consistent
with an action
once weve made a choice to do something,lingering doubts about our actions would causedissonance, so we are motivated to set them aside
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Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon
The tendency for people who have
first agreed to a small request to
comply later with a larger request
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Prejudice
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Prejudice
Based on the exaggerated notion that membersof other social groups are very different from
members of our own social group An unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its
members
Usually involves stereotyped beliefs, negativefeelings, and a predisposition to discriminatoryaction
Usually involves a negative attitude
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Keep in Mind
Racial and ethnic groups are far more
alike than they are different
Any differences that may exist betweenmembers of different racial and ethnic
groups are farsmaller than differences
among various members of the samegroup.
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Categorization
The tendency to group similar objects
May be a means to explain
stereotypes
St t
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Stereotype
A generalized belief about a group of people
Stereotypes are sometimes accurate but oftenovergeneralized.
Because stereotypes sometimes have a
kernel of truth, they are easy to confirm,especially when you see only what youexpect to see.
When stereotypic beliefs becomeexpectations that are applied to all membersof a given group, they can be both misleadingand damaging
Creating special cases, or exceptions, allows
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Studying stereotypes 3 levels of stereotypes in todays research
public what we say to others about a group
private what we consciously think about a group, but dont say to others
implicit unconscious mental associations guiding our judgments and actions
without our conscious awareness
See The Hidden Prejudice video clip (ScientificAmerican Frontiers (6 minutes)
http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/15_Prejudice.mpghttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_11/Videos%20&%20pics/15_Prejudice.mpg8/22/2019 Attitudes & Prejudice
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Implicit Stereotypes Use of priming: subject doesnt know
stereotype is being activated, cant workto suppress it Bargh study
have subjects read word lists, some lists include words like gray,Bingo, and Florida
subjects with old word lists walked to elevators significantly moreslowly
another study flash pictures of Black vs. White faces subliminally
give incomplete words like hos_____, subjects seeing Black makehostile, seeing White make hospital
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Implicit Stereotypes Devines automaticity theory
stereotypes about African-Americans are so prevalentin our culture that we all hold them
these stereotypes are automatically activatedwhenever we come into contact with an African-American
we have to actively push them back down if we dontwish to act in a prejudiced way.
Overcoming prejudice is possible, but takes work
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Ingroup Us
People with whom one shares a
common identity
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Outgroup Them
Those perceived as different or apart
form us (the ingroup)
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Out-Group Homogeneity
Effect
1. Typically, we describe the members of
ourin-group as being quite varied,
despite having enough features incommon to belong to the same group
2. We tend to see members of the out-
group as much more similarto oneanother, even in areas that have little
to do with the criteria for group
membership.
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Ingroup Bias
The tendency to favor ones own group usually atthe expense of the outgroup
We make favorable, positive attributions forbehaviors by members of our in-group, andunfavorable, negative attributions forbehaviors by members of out-groups.
Ethnocentrism - belief that ones own cultureor ethnic group is superior to others
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The Basis for Prejudice
In combination, stereotypes and in-group/out-group bias form the cognitive
basis for prejudicial attitudes. Prejudice also has a strong emotional
component, which is intensely negative andinvolves hatred, contempt, fear, and loathing
Behaviorally, prejudice can be displayed inthe form of discrimination
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Discrimination
In social relations, taking action
against a group of people because of
stereotyped beliefs and feelings ofprejudice
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Prejudice and Discrimination
Play Attitudes and Prejudicial
Behavior (6:06) Segment #31 from
Psychology: The Human Experience.
Play Ethnocentrism and Prejudice
(5:06) Segment #32 from Psychology:
The Human Experience.
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Scapegoat Theory
The theory that prejudice provides an
outlet for anger by providing someone
to blame
Example: Nazi Germany blaming the
Jews for the troubles in Germany
after WWI.
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Just-World Phenomenon
The tendency to believe that people
get what they deserve and deserve
what they get
Reflects childs attitude that good is
rewarded and evil is punished
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Accounting for Prejudice
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Accounting for Prejudice:
Two Theories1. Prejudice and intergroup hostility
increase when different groups are
competing for scarce resources2. People are prejudiced against groups
that are perceived as threateningimportant in-group norms and values
Social psychologists have increasinglycome to believe # 2 is more correct.
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Overcoming Prejudice
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Reducing Prejudice
Initially, researchers thought simple
contact between conflicting groups
would reduce prejudice (contact theory) They now think that prejudice can be
overcome when rival groups cooperate
to achieve a common goal
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Social Identity and Cooperation
Social identity theory:
States that when youre assigned to a group, youautomatically think of that group as an in-groupfor you
Sherifs Robbers Cave study 1112 year old boys at camp
Boys were divided into 2 groups and keptseparate from one another
Each group took on characteristics of distinctsocial group, with leaders, rules, norms of
behavior, and names
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Robbers Cave (Sherif) Leaders proposed series of competitive
interactions which led to 3 changes betweengroups and within groups
within-group solidarity
negative stereotyping of other group
hostile between-group interactions
A fierce rivalry quickly developed
To restore harmony, Sherif created a
series of situations in which the twogroups would need to cooperate toachieve a common goal
After a series of joint efforts, the rivalry
diminished and the groups becamefriends.
1906-1988
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Robbers Cave
Overcoming the strong we/they effect
establishment of superordinate goals
e.g., breakdown in camp water supply
overcoming intergroup strife - research
stereotypes are diluted when people shareindividuating information
This idea used in the classroomThe JigsawMethod of cooperative learning. (see pg. 514)
P i i D i 3
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Patricia Devines 3-step
process to Individual Prejudice
Reduction1. Individuals must decide that prejudiced
responses are wrong and consciously reject
prejudice and stereotyped thinking2. They must internalize their nonprejudiced
beliefs so that they become an integral partof their personal self-concept
3. Individuals must learn to inhibit automaticprejudicial reactions and deliberatelyreplace them with nonprejudiced responsesthat are based on their personal standards