Prejudice and the Contact Hypothesis Flashcards
(30 cards)
How did Allport (1954) define prejudice?
Thinking ill of others without sufficient warrant.
What is a stereotype according to social psychology?
A cognitive structure that influences how we perceive, remember, and interpret information about people.
What is the Contact Hypothesis? (Allport, 1954)
- The idea that under appropriate conditions
- contact between groups can reduce prejudice
What real-world experiment demonstrated intergroup hostility and its reduction?
The Robbers Cave Experiment (Sherif et al, 1954/61).
What are “superordinate goals”?
Shared goals that cannot be achieved without intergroup cooperation.
What promotes intergroup attraction?
Non-competitive contact between group members.
What negative consequence did Watson (1950) observe in intergroup contact?
Contact with low-SES minority groups can reinforce negative attitudes.
Name Allport’s (1954) four conditions for optimal intergroup contact.
- Equal status
- Cooperative interaction
- Acquaintance potential
- social/institutional support.
Why is equal status important in intergroup contact?
To prevent the reinforcement of existing power hierarchies.
What role does institutional support play in contact-based interventions?
It legitimises and encourages meaningful mixing (e.g., integrated housing).
What did Pettigrew & Tropp’s (2006) meta-analysis of 515 studies conclude?
Contact significantly reduces prejudice, especially under optimal conditions.
What is one limitation of contact for disadvantaged groups?
- They may expect discrimination
- and benefit less from the contact than advantaged groups
How might guided discussion enhance the contact effect?
By helping participants connect personal experiences with broader social biases (Cook, 1985).
What is “extended contact”?
Knowing that someone in your in-group has a friendship with an out-group member
What is “imagined contact”?
Mentally simulating positive interactions with out-group members to reduce implicit bias
What effect did imagined contact have on Islamophobia in Turner & Crisp’s study?
Reduced implicit bias as measured by the IAT.
What is the Jigsaw Classroom?
A cooperative learning method where each student is essential to group success, reducing prejudice (Aronson, 1970s).
Why is the Jigsaw method effective?
- creates interdependence
- encourages listening
- and mutual respect.
What does the Mutual Intergroup Differentiation Model propose?
That cooperation works best when groups retain distinctiveness without negative comparison (Hewstone & Brown 1986).
Why might contact backfire if group threat is present?
Threatened groups may resist mixing or feel defensive, increasing bias.
What is intersectionality?
The recognition that individuals have multiple, overlapping group identities.
How can multiple identities reduce prejudice?
- by increasing cross-group overlap
- promoting inclusivity
- reducing single-group loyalty
What are “cross-cutting categories”?
Overlapping identities (e.g., being both a woman and a scientist) that increase intergroup interactions.
What is one critique of the Contact Hypothesis raised by Hewstone & Swart (2011)?
Experimental contexts are kinder than real-world conflict situations.
