Prejudice vs. Discrimination In Psychology

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Prejudice encompasses the cognitive and emotional biases one holds internally towards a group, while discrimination manifests these biases through actions or behaviors, negatively affecting members of the targeted group.

Prejudice is an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) toward an individual based solely on the individual’s membership in a social group. For example, a person may hold prejudiced views towards a certain race or gender, etc. (e.g., sexist).
Discrimination is the unjust action or behavior directed at members of such groups based on their perceived differences.

Prejudice	Discrimination
An internal feeling or belief, often based on stereotypes.	External behavior or action targeting a group or individual.
Cognitive and emotional biases.	Actual behaviors or treatments, possibly institutionalized.
Exists in the realm of thoughts, feelings, and attitudes.	Observable actions, policies, or decisions against a group.
Can exist without outward expression.	Leads to tangible, often harmful, consequences for victims.

A prejudiced person may not act on their attitude. Therefore, someone can be prejudiced towards a certain group but not discriminate against them. Also, prejudice includes all three components of an attitude (affective, behavioral, and cognitive), whereas discrimination involves behavior.

Examples of Discrimination

Discrimination can manifest in various ways across different contexts. Here are some examples:

Racial and Ethnic Discrimination: Refusing to hire someone because of their racial or ethnic background.
Gender Discrimination: Paying a woman less than a man for the same job solely based on gender.
Age Discrimination: Not hiring an older individual because of a belief that they might not be tech-savvy or adapt to change.
Disability Discrimination: Not providing reasonable accommodations in the workplace for individuals with disabilities or treating them unfavorably because of their disability.
Sexual Orientation Discrimination: Harassing someone or denying them services because they identify as LGBTQ+.
Religious Discrimination: Not allowing an employee time off to observe a religious holiday or mocking them for wearing religious attire.
National Origin Discrimination: Treating someone unfavorably because they are from a particular country or part of the world.
Pregnancy Discrimination: Not hiring or promoting a woman because she is pregnant or might become pregnant.
Socio-economic Discrimination: Treating someone unfavorably because of their social class or economic status.
Language or Accent Discrimination: Mocking someone or denying them opportunities because of their accent or the language they speak.

Psychology Theories

Social Identity Theory

Developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner, social identity theory proposes that individuals categorize themselves into in-groups (groups they belong to) and out-groups (groups they do not belong to) to enhance their self-esteem.

The process of social categorization can lead to in-group favoritism and out-group derogation.

Consequently, to maintain positive self-worth and group identity, individuals may display prejudice towards out-groups and preferential treatment towards in-group members.

Realistic Conflict Theory

Proposed by Donald Campbell, this theory suggests that prejudice arises when groups compete for limited resources.

This competition intensifies when resources are scarce, increasing negative perceptions and hostility between groups. For example, job market competition between locals and immigrants can foster prejudices and discriminatory behaviors.

Scapegoating Theory

Scapegoating involves blaming an innocent person or group for problems or misfortunes. This theory posits that when faced with frustration or failure, individuals, to protect their self-esteem, may displace their aggression onto a vulnerable, often stereotyped group.

This results in undue prejudice and discrimination towards the scapegoated group.

Authoritarian Personality Theory

This theory, rooted in the work of Theodor Adorno, posits that certain personalities are more predisposed to prejudice. Individuals with an authoritarian personality tend to be more rigid, conformist, and intolerant of ambiguity.

These traits make them more susceptible to black-and-white thinking, leading to heightened prejudices and discriminatory actions against perceived out-groups.

Conformity

Influences that cause individuals to be racist or sexist, for example, may come from peers, parents, and group members. Conforming to social norms means people adopt the “normal” behavior(s) associated with a particular group or society.

Social norms – behavior considered appropriate within a social group – can influence prejudice and discrimination.

People may have prejudiced beliefs and feelings and act in a prejudiced way because they are conforming to what is regarded as normal in the social groups to which they belong:

Minard (1952) investigated how social norms influence prejudice and discrimination. The behavior of black and white miners in a town in the southern United States was observed, both above and below ground.

Below ground, where the social norm was friendly behavior towards work colleagues, 80 of the white miners were friendly towards the black miners. Above ground, where the social norm was prejudiced behavior by whites to blacks, this dropped to 20.

The white miners were conforming to different norms above and below ground. Whether or not prejudice is shown depends on the social context within which behavior occurs.

Pettigrew (1959) also investigated the role of conformity in prejudice. He investigated the idea that people who tended to be more conformist would also be more prejudiced and found this true of white South African students.

Similarly, he accounted for the higher levels of prejudice against black people in the Southern United States than in the North regarding the greater social acceptability of this kind of prejudice in the South.

Rogers and Frantz (1962) found that immigrants to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) became more prejudiced the longer they had been there. They gradually conformed more to the prevailing cultural norm of prejudice against the black population.

Evaluation: Conformity to social norms, then, may offer an explanation for prejudice in some cases. At the same time, norms change over time, so this can only go some way toward explaining prejudice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What causes prejudice and discrimination?

Prejudice and discrimination can stem from a mix of cognitive, social, and cultural factors. Individual processes like stereotyping and social identity can shape biased attitudes, while societal factors like racism and media exposure can perpetuate discrimination.

What are some strategies that someone can do to reduce prejudice and discrimination?

Some strategies individuals can do to reduce prejudice and discrimination include examining their own biases and assumptions, seeking out diverse perspectives and experiences, speaking out against discriminatory behavior, and actively engaging in inclusive behaviors and language.

Practicing empathy and perspective-taking can also facilitate a more open-minded and accepting attitude towards others.

What are some examples of prejudice and discrimination in psychology?

Some examples of prejudice and discrimination in psychology include biases in hiring and promotion decisions, disparities in healthcare access and treatment based on race or ethnicity, stereotyping and marginalization of certain mental health disorders or groups of people, and underrepresentation of diverse populations in research and clinical trials.

Additionally, biases in psychological assessment and diagnosis can contribute to the perpetuation of prejudicial attitudes and practices.

What is the difference between prejudice and stereotypes?

Prejudice refers to an unjustified and negative attitude or belief towards a certain group of people based on their membership in that group.

Stereotypes, on the other hand, are oversimplified and generalized beliefs about a particular group of people, often based on limited information or personal experiences.

Prejudice is more focused on the emotional response and judgment of a particular group, while stereotypes are more focused on cognitive processes of categorization and generalization. Stereotypes can contribute to the development of prejudicial attitudes, but not all stereotypes lead to prejudice.

References

Adorno, T. W., Frenkel-Brunswik, E., Levinson, D. and Sanford, R. N. (1950) The Authoritarian Personality. New York: Harper & Row

Campbell, Donald T. (1965). Ethnocentrism and other altruistic motives. In Nebraska symposium on motivation, vol. 13, edited by D. Levine, 283-311. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Levine, Robert A., and Donald T. Campbell. (1972). Ethnocentrism: Theories of conflict, ethnic attitudes,
and group behavior. New York: John Wiley.

Minard, R. D. (1952). Race relationships in the Pocahontas coal field. Journal of Social Issues, 8(1), 29-44.”> Race relationships in the Pocahontas coal field. Journal of Social Issues, 8(1), 29-44.

Pettigrew, T. F. (1959). Regional differences in anti-Negro prejudice. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 59(1), 28.

Rogers, C. A., & Frantz, C. (1962). Racial themes in Southern Rhodesia: the attitudes and behavior of the white population (p. 338). New Haven: Yale University Press.

Simpson, G. E., & Yinger, J. M. (2013). Racial and cultural minorities: An analysis of prejudice and discrimination. Springer Science & Business Media.

Tajfel, H., Turner, J. C., Austin, W. G., & Worchel, S. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. Organizational identity: A reader, 56-65.

Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33-47). Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.