Lecture 12
Intergroup Relations:
Prejudice and Discrimination
Outline
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Introduction
What is Prejudice?
Theories of Intergroup Relations
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Authoritarian Personality Theory
Realistic Conflict Theory
Social Identity Theory
Reducing Prejudice and Discrimination
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The Contact Hypothesis
Common Ingroup Identity Model
Introduction
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Ingroup: The social group to which an
individual perceives herself or himself
as belonging (“us”).
Outgroup: Any group other than the
one to which individuals perceive
themselves as belonging (“them”).
What is prejudice?

Prejudice is a positive or negative
attitude towards individuals based upon
their membership in a particular social
group.
What is Prejudice?
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3 components of a prejudiced attitude
(A) Affective
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(B) Behavioral
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Evaluative/emotional aspect
Discrimination: positive or negative behavior
directed toward the persons or groups who are
targets of prejudice
(C) Cognitive
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Stereotypes: A cognitive framework (i.e., schema)
to the effect that all members of a specific social
group share certain characteristics.
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Authoritarian Personality Theory
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The authoritarian personality can be described in
terms of 3 components
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1.
Authoritarian submission
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2.
Authoritarian aggression
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A high degree of submission to authorities who are
perceived to be established and legitimate in the society in
which one lives.
3.
A general aggressiveness, directed against various
persons, that is perceived to be sanctioned by established
authorities.
Conventionalism

A high degree of adherence to the social conventions that
are perceived to be endorsed by society and its established
authorities.
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Authoritarian Personality Theory, cont.
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Scape-goating
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A response to frustration whereby the
individual displaces aggression onto a socially
disapproved outgroup.
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Realistic Conflict Theory (Sherif)
Development of
Group Culture
Group
Formation
Tasks require
intragroup
cooperation
Biased
perceptions
Intergroup
Conflict
Intergroup
competition for
scarce resources
Harmonious
intergroup
attitudes
Intergroup
Cooperation
Introduce
superordinate
goal
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1978)
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Social categorization
Social identity
Social comparison
Psychological group distinctiveness
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Social Identity Theory, cont.
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Social comparison
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The cognitive tendency to divide the social
world into categories (i.e., social groups). This
categorical differentiation has the effect of
sharpening the distinctions between the
categories and blurs the differences within
them.
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Social Identity Theory
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Social identity

That part of the individual’s self-concept which
derives from knowledge of his or her
membership in a social group, together with
the value and emotional significance associated
to that membership.
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Social Identity Theory, cont.
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Social comparison
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The process through which characteristics of
the ingroup are compared to those of the
outgroup.
Theories of Intergroup
Relations, cont.
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Social Identity Theory, cont.
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Psychological Group Distinctiveness
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The state desired by individuals in which the
ingroup has an identity that is perceived by the
group members as being both distinct and
positive vis-à-vis relevant comparison groups.
Reducing Prejudice
The Contact Hypothesis (Amir, 1969)
Cooperative
Interdependence
Equal Status
Acquaintance
Potential
Institutional
Support
Prejudice
Reduction
Reducing Prejudice, cont.
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Common Ingroup Identity Model
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Individuals in different groups who view
themselves as members of a single social entity
will experience more positive contacts between
themselves and intergroup bias will be reduced.
Recategorization
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Shifts in the boundary between an individual’s ingroup
and various outgroups cause persons formerly viewed as
outgroup members now to be seen as belonging to the
ingroup
Reducing Prejudice, cont.
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Dissociation Model (Devine, 1989)
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Based on a conflict between stereo-typed
responses and personal beliefs
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Automatic Processes (stereotyped-response)
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Involve the unintentional (spontaneous) activation of
previously developed associations in memory that have
been established through a history of repeated activation.
Controlled Processes (personal beliefs)
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Refers to the intentional activation of information stored in
memory. More flexible than automatic processes, but they
can be initiated only with active attention and not under
conditions in which one’s cognitive capacity is limited