PSYC 2040 Study Guide - Contact Hypothesis, Social Influence, Fide
Document Summary
Prejudice is an attitude (usually negative) toward members of a social group based solely on their membership in that group. It can be triggered in a seemingly automatic manner and can be implicit as well as explicit. Prejudice may reflect more specific underlying emotional responses to different out-groups, including fear, anger, guilt, and disgust. Prejudice persists because disparaging groups can protect our self esteem. Threat to our groups interests can motivate prejudice, and perceived competition between groups for resources can escalate conflict. According to social identity theory, prejudice is derived from our tendency to divide the world into us and them and to view our own group more favorably than various out-groups. People may feel it is legitimate to display prejudice toward some social groups that it is normative to do so- while for other groups it is seen as highly illegitimate to express prejudice. Feeling secure in ones subgroup distinctiveness results in less prejudice toward similar out-groups.
