Social Relations in Social Psychology Prejudice Social Relations in Social Psychology

3 Components of Prejudice An unjustifiable (usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.

Prejudice Prejudice = negative attitude Discrimination = negative behavior (action) Stereotype = a generalized belief about a group (sometimes accurate, but overgeneralized)

Overt and Subtle Prejudice Overt- openly prejudice; conscious attitude Subtle- quiet lingering prejudice; mostly automatic or subconscious.

Social Inequalities Ingroup- “us”- people with whom one shares a common identity. Outgroup- “them” – those perceived as different or apart from one’s ingroup. Ingroup bias- the tendency to favor one’s own group.

Emotional Roots of Prejudice Comes from divisions of society, passions of the heart, and often express anger or rage. Scapegoat Theory: the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Cognitive Roots of Prejudice Stereotyped beliefs are how we cognitively simplify the world. Categorization: we simplify our world by categorizing people into groups (often becoming stereotypes). Vivid Cases: more likely to recall vivid (negative) aspects than positive ones. Just-World Phenomenon: Good is rewarded and evil is punished. “People get what they deserve”