Prejudice Psychology

Social psychologists attempted to characterise bias from several perspectives. Some psychologists describe prejudice as an unreasonable predetermined judgement, while others define it as an expression of hostility against members of a certain religion, race, or group. However, the majority of psychologists agree with Secord and Backman’s definition. “Prejudice is an attitude that predisposes a person to think, perceive, feel, and act in favour of or against a group or its individual members.” “Prejudice is often an unfavourable attitude toward members of some social, ethnic, or religious group,” writes Baron and Byrne. But what causes us to be biased, and how can we combat it? Prejudice, whether negative or positive, is an attitude with all three components of attitude, namely emotional, cognitive, and behavioural. In this article, we will look at the concept of bias, as well as its characteristics and kinds. We will also address discrimination as a process, as well as how bias and discrimination emerge and persist. Finally, we look at ways to eliminate bias and discrimination.

What exactly is prejudice?

Prejudice means to develop an opinion or pre-judge something before all of the facts are obtained. Prejudice was defined as “an animosity based on inaccurate and inflexible generalisation towards a group as a whole or towards an individual because they are a part of that group” in one of the early psychological explanations. The first thing this explanation informs us is that prejudice is not founded on logic or facts, but rather on a series of assumptions, half-truths, and educated guesses.

If prejudice is an attitude, then discrimination is the manifestation of that prejudice, and the outcome is a stigma, or as we shall call it later, a ‘label.’ But how does a biased, unfavourable viewpoint influence those who are stigmatised, and why does this result in a label being imposed on them? Unconscious bias accounts for a large portion of prejudice, as seen by the fundamental stereotyped assumptions we make about people on a daily basis. These preconceptions influence our behaviour and drive us to discriminate against entire groups of people. Large groupings eventually become ‘ghettoised,’ and the members inside these groups feel separated and alone.

Prejudice characteristics

Prejudice has the following features, according to psychologists:

• Prejudice is learned:

Prejudice, like attitude, is learned through the process of learning and socialisation. When kids are born, they are like a blank slate, devoid of any prejudice. Only when the socialisation process begins does he begin to imitate his parents and their likes and dislikes. The norms, values, habits, and traditions of the society of which he is a part, bias him against members of another group. 

• Emotional undercurrents:

Prejudice is always tinged with emotion. It is either in favour of or against a certain group, community, or religion. If the individual is favourable, they will display excessive compassion, love, care, and sympathy towards members of another group. However, if the situation is bad, the person will express hatred, disdain, and antagonism.

• Prejudice is irrational: 

Prejudice is resistant to logic, knowledge, and significance. In the face of conflicting knowledge and proof, the individual does not modify his bias.

• Prejudice has a purpose:

It helps the person rationalise his hostility and repressed impulses, as well as boosts sentiments of self-esteem and prestige. It aids individuals in justifying their exploitation and prejudice against members of other groups. 

• Prejudice has no basis in reality: 

It is mostly based on hearsay, imprecise and incorrect information, societal practices and traditions. It fails the logic and reasoning exam.

Prejudice Types

Prejudices come in various forms based on the individual’s social circumstances. Prejudices are classified into the following categories by sociologists and psychologists:

1. Racial prejudice: This is directed against people of a different race. Negros, for example, have faced racial discrimination at the hands of whites. Similarly, Jews were persecuted by Nazis in Germany. Hitler went so far as to exterminate on a large scale.
2. Sex bias: Women have been objects of prejudice for millennia. They have been stereotyped as weak, dependent, and cognitively inferior to men.
3. Prejudice based on caste: The Indian social system is the clearest illustration of this prejudice. Our civilisation is organised into various castes, each with its own set of traits.
4. Religious bigotry has been a persistent issue in India since before independence. Pakistan was formed only due to religious disputes. In religious bias, a person has a favourable attitude toward his religion and a negative one against other religions. As a result, there are misunderstandings and prejudices regarding individuals of various religions.

Discrimination

Discrimination is the unfair treatment of those who belong to a certain social group, community, or religion. It is the overt or behavioural manifestation of bias. In general, the individual discriminated against is denied some advantage or right that other members of society who do not belong to the minority group enjoy.

When the reward-cost outcomes of two independently bound groups are thought to be mutually exclusive, each group can only enhance its benefits at the expense of the other. Members of each group endeavour to safeguard or increase their outcomes, according to the exchange theory.

If the two groups have uneven power, they will produce divergent outcomes unless they are restrained by norms. Prejudice and discrimination are used by the powerful to exploit the weaker. These disparities in outcomes result in variances in the status of the two groups. The amount to which members of the minority group feel discriminated against and detest or are hostile toward the majority group is determined by the comparison level between theirs and the majority groups. If the minority group’s comparison level is the same as the majority group’s, it will be dissatisfied and hostile. However, if the comparison is sufficiently low in relation to the majority group, no negative sentiments will arise. ‘Minority groups’ usage of comparison level compared to the majority group, on the other hand, is influenced by previous experiences, the outcomes accessible in alternative relationships, and structural and cultural variables. In Indian civilisation, for example, lower-caste individuals were not permitted to draw water from wells designated for those of higher castes. They were not allowed to sit in front of individuals of higher castes, and they were subjected to a slew of other restrictions merely because they were born into the Sudra caste.

Sometimes discrimination arises in the absence of a sense of bias.

Conclusion

The traditional saying “familiarity breeds disdain” isn’t always accurate. Familiarity with various groups in society may frequently lead to tolerance and acceptance of the ideas and beliefs of others. Our exposure to other cultures, or rather our lack thereof, has a major impact on our view of what is and is not ‘normal’ behaviour. People who strongly identify with their group and have had little exposure to other cultures, people, and races are more prone to regard the values of other groups as foreign and so biased against them. While psychologists can help us analyse and comprehend bias, only we can take action to decrease it. If we so choose, every one of us has a responsibility to address prejudice when we see it, and each of us may help reduce the levels of discrimination in society. Where do we begin?

Simply looking at and questioning our ‘common sense’ beliefs about individuals, groups, and cultures would be a significant step forward in opening our eyes to our own levels of bias and confronting our preconceptions.