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Chapter 11

Prepared by S. SaterfieldFrom The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination, Whitley and Kite, 2006

The Experience of Discrimination

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Prejudice and discrimination can simply be invisible to many members of the majority group

For many people prejudice and discrimination are a “lived experience”, not inconsequential beliefs and actions that can simply be overlooked while “getting on with one’s life’

Social Stigma

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What factors set others apart from the dominant groupWhite privileges/dominate group membership•Group power•Privilege status •Not defined by number

Social Stigma

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What Defines a Stigmatized Groups

Stigmatized—those groups that do not share the dominate groups status

–Appearance –Behavior–Violate norms established by dominate groups–Referred to as the marked/markers

•Devalued, flawed for spoiled in eyes of others

Social Stigma

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Stigmatized GroupConsequences of this devaluation are

–Dehumanization–Threat–Aversion–Other negative treatment–Subtle forms of discrimination

Social Stigma

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Stigmatize groups

Benign stigmas-

Stigmas that general depression to extreme violence against the stigmatized groups

Social Stigma

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Dimensions of harmful and benign stigmas–Course–Concealability–Aesthetic qualities–Origin–Peril

Stigma by Association

Social Stigma

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Tokenism—stigmatizing experiences from being a minority within a particular context

–Visibility–Contrast–Assimilation

Social Stigma

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•Attributional Ambiguity •Personal/Group discrimination Discrepancy

–PGDD–Cognitive explanation–Motiviational explanation–Perceiving discrimination

Responses to Prejudice and Discrimination

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Stereotype Threat

–General features of stereotype threat–Reducing stereotype threat–Stereotype lift

Consequences of Prejudice to the Target

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How prejudice and discrimination can produce stress

–Stress-related responses to prejudice and discrimination

Threats of Self-Esteem–Individualism

Consequences of Prejudice to the Target

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Coping with Discrimination

•Psychological Disengagement and Disidentification

–Disidentification

•Behavioral Compensation–Compensation

Consequences of Prejudice to the Target

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________ refers to the polarization or exaggeration of the differences between a token and the dominant group.

• Visibility• Assimilation• Marking• Contrast

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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________ refers to the polarization or exaggeration of the differences between a token and the dominant group.

• Visibility• Assimilation• Marking• Contrast (p. 459)

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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The personal/group discrimination discrepancy refers to the finding that

a) people believe they have personally experienced more discrimination than the typical member of their group.

b) people believe they have personally experienced less discrimination than the typical member of their group.

c) people report less discrimination than they actually experience.

d) individual people are motivated to see more discrimination against them and their group than actually exists.

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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The personal/group discrimination discrepancy refers to the finding that

a) people believe they have personally experienced more discrimination than the typical member of their group.

b) people believe they have personally experienced less discrimination than the typical member of their group. (p. 466)

c) people report less discrimination than they actually experience.

d) individual people are motivated to see more discrimination against them and their group than actually exists.

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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Under which of the following conditions is stereotype threat most likely to occur?

a) a woman taking a math exam in a class of other women

b) a White man demonstrating his athletic ability at the same time as a Black man

c) an Asian man taking a diagnostic test that he does not particularly care about

d) a middle school child taking a memory test with other middle school children

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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Under which of the following conditions is stereotype threat most likely to occur?

a) a woman taking a math exam in a class of other women

b) a White man demonstrating his athletic ability at the same time as a Black man (pp. 473-474)

c) an Asian man taking a diagnostic test that he does not particularly care about

d) a middle school child taking a memory test with other middle school children

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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Which of the following is true about the relationship between the experience of discrimination and stress?

a) The experience of subtle prejudice causes more stress than does the experience of blatant prejudice.

b) Blacks experience lower blood pressure under conditions of stereotype threat than do Blacks not under those conditions.

c) Gay men who have experienced anti-gay violence show more psychological distress than gay men who have not experienced such violence.

d) All of the above are true.

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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Which of the following is true about the relationship between the experience of discrimination and stress?

a) The experience of subtle prejudice causes more stress than does the experience of blatant prejudice.

b) Blacks experience lower blood pressure under conditions of stereotype threat than do Blacks not under those conditions.

c) Gay men who have experienced anti-gay violence show more psychological distress than gay men who have not experienced such violence. (p.478)

d) All of the above are true.

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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A person who __________ is most likely to feel guilty when confronted about discrimination.

a) has discriminated against a woman

b) sees her- or himself as low in prejudice

c) is confronted by a Black person

d) is confronted by a woman

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions

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A person who __________ is most likely to feel guilty when confronted about discrimination.

a) has discriminated against a woman

b) sees her- or himself as low in prejudice (p.482)

c) is confronted by a Black person

d) is confronted by a woman

Experiencing Discrimination Study Questions