Studies from Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination

Williams and Best 1994

• Aim: Extent of sex stereotyping in 30 countries
• Method: Participants given over 300 characteristics. Asked to state male, female or both.
• Results: Females; understanding, emotional. Males; reckless and determined.
• Conclusion: Commonly held stereotypes.

Rubin et al 1977

• Aim: Do new parents stereotype their babies?
• Method: Parents asked to describe newborn within 24 hours.
• Results: Baby boys were alert and strong while girls were soft and delicate.
• Conclusion: Stereotypes start quickly without behaviour being shown.

Barrett and Short 1992

• Aim: To look at the development of prejudice in children
• Method: 216 children (aged 5-10) interviewed about people from other European countries.
• Results: Views already formed and some more positive than others e.g. Germans least and French most
• Conclusion: By age 10 prejudiced views are held

Adorno 1950

• Aim: Is there a link between prejudiced beliefs and personality
• Method: 100's were interviewed and tested using the F-scale
• Results: A relationship was found between personality and views e.g. resistant to change, rigid beliefs and obedience to higher authority
• Conclusion: An authoritarian personality exists and can be shaped by strict parents

Sherif 1961 Robbers Cave

• Aim: find out if prejudice develops when in competition for scarce resources
• Method: A US summer camp for 22 boys was set up. Boys were randomly assigned to 2 teams and split up; they didn't know about the others. They were allowed to settle and form a bond/identity. Then they were introduced and competitions began.
• Results: Unpleasant name calling and attacks on each other happened quickly.
• Conclusion: Competition caused prejudice.

More on Sherif

• The boys were
• white middle class
• aged 12
• American
• from stable homes
• The experiment involved
• each group having a name; rattlers and eagles
• normal summer camp activities
• competitions which included tidiest camp and sporting events
• But Sherif set up a picnic. One group was delayed getting there and when they arrived there was hardly any food left.
• Fights began.

Evaluating Sherif

• Negatives
• The groups and competitions were artificial
• Sample was narrow and small...gender, age, class, ethnicity, culture
• Positives
• It demonstrated real life implications because it showed how quickly prejudice could arise
• It also showed how quickly and alliance(s) can be formed and how this can be turned against those seen to be different (or a threat?)

Sherif and reducing P and D

• A year later he tried to reduce prejudice between the 2 groups
• This time he arranged joint activities e.g. trips to the cinema and meals out
• It didn't work
• He set up a situation where a truck was stuck in the mud
• There was no dinner unless they go the truck out.
• This was successful as the task need effort from all
• Sherif concluded that cooperation on an important task reduced prejudice

Levine 2002

• Aim: Would a stranger be helped if people believed they had something in common
• Method: Stuntman fell over in front of Man U fans in a Man U shirt and then again in a Liverpool shirt
• Results: Man U shirt helped every time and Liverpool shirt left to help himself every time.
• Conclusion: Less likely to help out-group members.

Tajfel 1970

• Aim: To show how easily people discriminate against out-groups
• Method: 14-15 yr old boys randomly into 2 groups and given a game. Had to award points in pairs. Most points won.
• Results: Points were awarded by choosing pairings that created the most difference.
• Conclusion: Discrimination occurs towards the out-group

Evaluating Tajfel

• Negatives
• Only boys used so what about generalising?
• Ages were 14-15 so again what about other ages?
• Groups were artificially created
• Positives
• Other studies using all ages and gender have replicated and supported Tajfel

Aronson 2000 Jigsaw Method

• Aim: Elimination of prejudice between black and white students in a school in Texas
• Method: Students placed in mixed groups and each are given responsibility for a part of the lesson. They need to be experts in their part and pass it on to the others.
• Results: Each student reported enhanced self esteem, increased liking for classmates and improved perceptions of the other racial group.
• Conclusion: Expert groups/jigsaw method reduced prejudice

Elliot 1970

• Aim: To teach her students what discrimination felt like (just after MLK assassination)
• Method: Blue eyed blondes were told they were clever and special and the other children were not and were excluded from using facilities. The next day she reversed this
• Results: Day 1 showed smug behaviours from group A and sad from group B. On the next day this reversed.
• Conclusion: Elliott believed this experience would influence tolerant behaviour towards others

More on Elliott

• The children she taught had never met anyone a different colour to themselves
• She wanted them to experience what it felt like to be judged on a physical characteristic over which you had no control
• Her study is considered to be unethical because of the distress suffered by the children BUT
• Years later they were much more tolerant and showed more empathy

Harwood 2003

• Aim: Investigate childrens views of the elderly
• Method: Children and their grandparents were asked about their relationship. Children were also quizzed about views on old people generally.
• Results: Children with regular contact held positive views.
• Conclusion: Contact with grandparents is a good predictor of a child's attitude towards the elderly.

3 explanations of prejudice & discrimination

• Adorno=strict critical parents and an authoritarian personality
• Sherif=competition for scarce resources
• Tajfel=favouring your in groups and believing them to be superior

Practical implications

• Sherif=hard to put into practice in real life. Even if the joint task exists how do you get people to take part?
• Aronson=the work could be applied to schools or workplaces but hard to generalise to other settings
• Elliott=her method for creating empathy worked but they need to be young when they experience it
• Harwood=shows that regular contact with grandparents is important