Dr Tabassum Alvi
Assistant Professor Psychiatry/Behavioural
Sciences
Majmaah University
Objectives

 Apply the definitions of the term stereotypes ,
prejudice and discrimination
 Describe how stereotypes are formed and
maintained
 Explain how stereotypes affects the way we perceive
and behave
 Discuss how stereotyping can be eliminated
Stereotypes

 Stereotyping is the attribution to a person of a
number of characteristics or traits , which are
assumed to be typical of the group to which the
individual belong.
 Thus the presumed characteristics of the group are
generalised and applied to all individual of group
Stereotypes

 Stereotyping is a normal part of thinking process
 It help us simplifying information , categorize it
and use it with ease.
Stereotypes

 Examples :
1.
2.
3.
4.
Blacks are inferior to whites
Homosexual are sick people
Afghani are terrorist
Women are weak
Stereotypes

 Stereotypes are based on minimal information
derived from second and third hand information
(TV , Radio , News paper )
 Prejudiced person has little direct experience of the
group
 Based on evaluative judgement predicted in advance
on the basis of some arbitrary characteristic
Prejudice

 It is defined as an attitude (usually negative )
towards member of some group , based solely on
their membership in that group
 Difference between Prejudice & Discrimination
 Prejudice is a negative attitude
 Discrimination is negative action
Prejudice

 Children acquire prejudice early in life
 Prejudice are stable over time
 They only loosen when cultural and social norms
change
 Higher social class , education and intelligence are
associated with lower level of prejudice
Factors that contribute towards
Prejudice

Socialization
 Many prejudices seem to be passed along from
parents to children.
 The media—including television, movies, and
advertising
Factors that contribute towards
Prejudice

Conforming behaviours.
 Prejudices may bring support from significant
others, so rejecting prejudices may lead to losing
social support.
Factors that contribute towards
Prejudice

Economic benefits.
 Social studies have confirmed that prejudice
especially rises when groups are in direct
competition for jobs. (women get jobs easily, white
are preferred over black people )
 This may help to explain why prejudice increases
dramatically during times of economic and social
stress.
Factors that contribute towards
Prejudice

Authoritarian personality.
 People with an authoritarian personality rigidly
conform, submit without question to their superiors,
reject those they consider to be inferiors, and express
intolerant sexual and religious opinions.
Factors that contribute towards
Prejudice

Ethnocentrism.
 Ethnocentrism is the tendency to evaluate others'
cultures by one's own cultural norms and values.
Group closure.
 Group closure is the process whereby groups keep
clear boundaries between themselves and others
Factors that contribute towards
Prejudice

Conflict theory.
 Under conflict theory, in order to hold onto their
distinctive social status, power, and possessions,
privileged groups are invested in seeing that no
competition for resources arises from minority
groups.
Stages of Ethnic Discrimination

Allport (1954) proposed five stages of ethnic
discrimination
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Antiloculation
Avoidance
Discrimination
Physical attack
Extermination
Antiloculation

 Hostile talk
 Verbal attack
Avoidance

 Systemic avoidance of the other group .
 Segregation is an extreme example of avoidance
Discrimination

 Exclusion in term of civil rights , jobs and
educational opportunities
 Example;
people with mental illnesses
Physical Attack

 Violence against people and property of other
groups
Extermination

 Deliberate killing and murder of member of the
other group
Example; suicide bombers
Solutions to prejudice

 The self‐esteem hypothesis, is that when people
have an appropriate education and higher
self‐esteem, their prejudices will go away.
Solutions to prejudice

 Contact hypothesis, which states that the best
answer to prejudice is to bring together members of
different groups so they can learn to appreciate their
common experiences and backgrounds.
Solutions to prejudice

 Cooperation hypothesis, holds that conflicting
groups need to cooperate by laying aside their
individual interests and learning to work together
for shared goals.
Solutions to prejudice

Legal hypothesis, is that prejudice can be eliminated by
enforcing laws against discriminative behaviour.

 Refrence : Psychological basis of psychiatry : M S
Thambiraja page 226-229
THANKS