Write a 4–5-page assessment in which you apply theories and concepts about prejudice, stereotypes, and groups to different points related to these topics.
OVERVIEW
Write a 4–5-page assessment in which you apply theories and concepts about prejudice, stereotypes, and groups to different points related to these topics.
Prejudice and stereotyping seem to be part of the human condition, and it is essential to examine how attitudes develop in order to change our behavior as individuals and as a society.
SHOW LESS
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
• Competency 2: Apply social psychological research and theory to examine social perception, social interaction, and social influence.
• Examine how attitudes and behaviors of a group influence prejudice and stereotyping.
• Explain how membership in a group influences social judgment.
• Competency 3: Analyze social psychological theory and research to explain personal, professional, and social issues.
• Analyze how portrayal of ethnic, cultural, and social groups by the media influences social perception of the group and perpetuates stereotyping.
• Analyze how subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change.
• Competency 5: Examine controversial research studies in social psychology from an ethical standpoint.
• Describe ethical challenges researchers face when conducting research on controversial topics.
• Competency 6: Apply critical thinking skills to resolve conflicts and issues in the field of social psychology.
• Examine the implications and consequences for society of not addressing prejudice and stereotyping.
• Competency 7: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in the field of psychology.
• Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional.
Use APA format and style.
CONTEXT
Prejudice occurs all over the world, often contributing to violence, oppression, and other forms of harm. What are the distinctions between stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice? When do stereotypes become prejudices? Racism and sexism occur across races, ages, genders, religions, physical appearances, sexual orientations, and so on. Prejudice creates emotional, physical, and economic harm to individuals, groups, and society as a whole. But what factors create prejudice, and how can prejudice be reduced? What role do media play in both maximizing and minimizing stereotypes and prejudices? By examining how prejudices are cultivated and the damage they cause, we can begin to see how we might overcome and prevent prejudice.
Groups
Anyone who has worked in teams knows the challenges of working as a team but also the synergistic accomplishments that come when the team works well together. The fact is that, as cultural animals, we are required to be part of groups of varying types and sizes. Social psychology seeks to answer important questions that assist us in understanding the challenges, limitations, and benefits of groups. What makes some groups more and some groups less cohesive? Can groups outperform individuals? This area of social psychology researches these questions as well as topics such as how exclusion of outside information can lead to groupthink and how anonymity in a group can lead to social loafing. Social psychology also looks at different styles of leadership and their effects on group dynamics and performance.
Learning dynamics of group process and leadership potentially makes us better group participants and leaders. The research findings in these areas have implications for organizations from as small as neighborhood associations up through organizations as large as governments. Businesses, both small and large, have taken notice of and applied research in these areas to improve job practices and employee relations and performance.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.
• How many types of prejudice or stereotyping can you think of?
• Where does prejudice against each group come from?
Are you afflicted with cognitive dissonance?
RESOURCES
• Suggested Resources The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom. FMG Videos Click the following links to view videos purchased through Films Media Group for use in this Capella course. Any distribution of video content or associated links is prohibited.
• Racial Stereotypes in the Media.
• Prejudice: More than Black and White.
• InstanceEndEditable SHOW LESS InstanceBeginEditable name=”RemainingParagraphs” Library Resources The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course. Note: Some of the articles are quite old and are included here because they are considered seminal works in the field.
• Aramovich, N. P. (2014). The effect of stereotype threat on group versus individual performance. Small Group Research, 45(2), 176–197.
• Brambilla, M., & Butz, D. A. (2013). Intergroup threat and outgroup attitudes: Macro-level symbolic threat increases prejudice against gay men. Social Psychology, 44(5), 311–319.
• Carr, P. B., Dweck, C. S., & Pauker, K. (2012). “Prejudiced” behavior without prejudice? Beliefs about the malleability of prejudice affect interracial interactions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(3), 452–471.
• Dasgupta, N., DeSteno, D., Williams, L. A., & Hunsinger, M. (2009). Fanning the flames of prejudice: The influence of specific incidental emotions on implicit prejudice. Emotion, 9(4), 585–591.
• Fehr, J., Sassenberg, K., & Jonas, K. J. (2012). Willful stereotype control: The impact of internal motivation to respond without prejudice on the regulation of activated stereotypes. Zeitschrift Für Psychologie, 220(3), 180–186.
• Gallate, J., Wong, C., Ellwood, S., Chi, R., & Snyder, A. (2011). Noninvasive brain stimulation reduces prejudice scores on an implicit association test. Neuropsychology, 25(2), 185–192.
• Johnson, M. K., Rowatt, W. C., & LaBouff, J. P. (2012). Religiosity and prejudice revisited: In-group favoritism, out-group derogation, or both? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 4(2), 154–168.
• Lehman, B. (2012). The impacts of friendship groups’ racial composition when perceptions of prejudice threaten students’ academic self-concept. Social Psychology of Education, 15(3), 411–425.
• Paluck, E. L. (2009). Reducing intergroup prejudice and conflict using the media: A field experiment in Rwanda. Journal of Personality And Social Psychology, 96(3), 574–587.
• Pearl, R. L., Puhl, R. M., & Brownell, K. D. (2012). Positive media portrayals of obese persons: Impact on attitudes and image preferences. Health Psychology, 31(6), 821–829.
• Scarabis, M., & Florack, A. (2008). How the motivation to make fair judgments influences memory for in- and out-group behavior. Swiss Journal of Psychology/Schweizerische Zeitschrift Für Psychologie/Revue Suisse De Psychologie, 67(4), 241–248.
• Schlehofer, M. M., Casad, B. J., Bligh, M. C., & Grotto, A. R. (2011). Navigating public prejudices: The impact of media and attitudes on high-profile female political leaders. Sex Roles, 65(1–2), 69–82.
• Shier, M. L., Jones, M. E., & Graham, J. R. (2010). Perspectives of employed people experiencing homelessness of self and being homeless: Challenging socially constructed perceptions and stereotypes. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 37(4), 13–37.
• Reyna, C., Dobria, O., & Wetherell, G. (2013). The complexity and ambivalence of immigration attitudes: Ambivalent stereotypes predict conflicting attitudes toward immigration policies. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 19(3), 342–356.
• Ryan, C. S., & Bogart, L. M. (1997). Development of new group members’ in-group and out-group stereotypes: Changes in perceived group variability and ethnocentrism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(4), 719–732.
• Wong, Y. J., Horn, A. J., & Chen, S. (2013). Perceived masculinity: The potential influence of race, racial essentialist beliefs, and stereotypes. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 14(4), 452–464.
• Zafar, S., & Ross, E. C. (2014). Interreligious contact, attitudes, and stereotypes: A study of five religious groups in Canada. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement. Advance online publication.
• Von Sikorski, C., & Schierl, T. (2014). Attitudes in context: Media effects of salient contextual information on recipients’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Journal of Media Psychology, 26(2), 70–80.
• Course Library Guide A Capella University library guide has been created specifically for your use in this course. You are encouraged to refer to the resources in the Introduction to Social Psychology Library Guide to help direct your research. Internet Resources Access the following resources by clicking the links provided. Please note that URLs change frequently. Permissions for the following links have either been granted or deemed appropriate for educational use at the time of course publication. Note: To access the Cengage Clips for Class videos, scroll through the list until you find the correct video.
• Cengage Learning. (2014). Clips for Class: Social: Social Cognition: Women, math, and stereotype threat | Transcript. Retrieved from http://www.clipsforclass.com/social#cognition
• Cengage Learning. (2014). Clips for Class: Social: Prosocial Behavior: Reaction to women abusing men in public | Transcript. Retrieved from http://www.clipsforclass.com/social#prosocial
• Bookstore Resources The resources listed below are relevant to the topics and assessments in this course and are not required. Unless noted otherwise, these materials are available for purchase from the Capella University Bookstore. When searching the bookstore, be sure to look for the Course ID with the specific –FP (FlexPath) course designation.
• Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. J. (2014). Social psychology & human nature (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Chapters 8, 13, and 14.
ASSESSMENT NSTRUCTIONS
Assessment ISearch for research articles on theories and concepts related to prejudice, stereotypes, and groups. For your assessment, apply at least one theory or concept to each of the following:
• Examine how attitudes and behaviors of a group can contribute to prejudice and stereotyping.
• Analyze how the portrayal of ethnic, cultural, or social groups by the media can influence social perception of those groups and perpetuate stereotypes. Provide specific examples of how a group has been portrayed in the media.
• Explain how membership in a group can influence social judgment.
• Analyze how subtle stereotyping in everyday language and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change. Provide specific examples.
• Describe the types of ethical considerations researchers should consider before conducting research on the hotly debated topics of prejudice and stereotyping.
• What are the implications and likely consequences for society if prejudice and stereotyping are not reduced?
Your submitted assessment should be 4–5 pages in length, excluding title page and reference page. Support your statements and analyses with references to at least three scholarly research articles. Be sure to follow APA guidelines for format and style.
Additional Requirements
• Include a title page and reference page.
• At least three current scholarly or professional resources.
• APA format.
• Times New Roman font, 12 point.
• Double spaced.
