ABCs of Disliking Others

Prejudice (Affect): Negative attitude or

feeling toward people simply because of
their membership in certain groups.
Discrimination (Behavior): Unequal
treatment of different people based on the
groups or categories to which they belong.
Stereotypes (Cognition): Beliefs that
associate groups of people with certain
traits.
Outline
What are stereotypes?
How are stereotypes formed?
Social categorization
Outgroup homogeneity bias
How do stereotypes survive?
Subcategories
Illusory correlations
Ultimate attribution error
Media depictions of minorities
Stereotypes (Cognition)
Beliefs that associate groups of people
with certain traits.
Stereotypes refer to what we believe or
think about various groups.
They can be good or bad.
Old people are wise and slow drivers
Blacks are good athletes and
musicians
Europeans are classy but arrogant
Social Categorization
Process of sorting people on the
basis of common attributes (e.g.,
gender, ethnic background, age,
religion, sexual orientation, weight).
Ingroups & Outgroups
Ingroups (us): Groups that we identify
with.
Outgroups (them): Groups that we do
not identify with.
Outgroup Homogeneity Bias
The tendency to assume that there is
greater similarity among outgroup
members than among ingroup members
(e.g., they all look alike).
Illusory Correlation
People overestimate the link between
variables that are related only slightly
or not at all.
Desirable
behavior
Majority
group
Minority
group
Undesirable
behavior
Which Box is Most Salient?
Most
salient
Hamilton & Gifford (1986) Study
Independent variables:
Group A (2/3) vs. Group B (1/3)
Desirable (2/3) vs. undesirable (1/3)
behaviors

Dependent variable:
Estimated number of desirable and
undesirable behaviors performed by Group
A and Group B members
Examples
John, a member of Group A, visited a
sick friend in the hospital.
Allen, a member of Group B, dented the
fender of a parked car and didnt leave
his name.
Actual Correlation
Illusory Correlation
Mass Media Feeds
Illusory Correlations
All Muslims are terrorists!
All mental patients are dangerous!
All black athletes are violent!

http://bryanbraun.com/2011/01/10/the-power-of-infographics/
Mental Illness in the Media
Mentally ill media characters are over
represented as being violent
Approximately 75% of the violent characters on
TV are mentally ill
About 11% of violent offenders are mentally ill
(same as general population)
Serious mental illnesses are over represented
Psychopathy
Schizophrenia
Mentally ill are portrayed as easy to identify
Ultimate Attribution Error
Fundamental attribution error: People have
a bias to attribute another persons
behavior to internal or dispositional causes
(e.g., personality traits, attitudes) to a much
greater extent than they should. People fail
to take full notice and consideration of the
external factors (e.g., the situation,
constraints of the social environment) that
are operating on the person.

Ultimate Attribution Error
When the error involves making an internal
attribution about whole groups of people
instead of specific individuals it is called the
ultimate attribution error.
1
Specifically, people view negative acts
committed by outgroup members as
internally caused, and view positive acts
committed by outgroup members as
externally caused.
1. Pettigrew (1979).
Media Depictions of Minorities
Counting heads
Until 1980s: under-representation for all
groups
Recent years:
Greater representation of African Americans
Under-representation of other groups
Role comparisons
African Americans: low status roles until the
1980s; improved in recent years (1/3 of all
appearances in sitcoms)
Other groups: Rarely seen
Race of Prime Time Characters
Fall Colors: 2003-04 Prime Time Diversity Report (Children Now)
Asian (3%)
Latino (6.5%)
Black (16%)
White (73%)
Race/ethnicity G-rated films 2000 U.S.
Census
Difference
White 85.5% 75.2% +10.3%
Hispanic 1.9% 13.2% -11.3%
Black 4.7% 11.9% -7.2%
Asian 3.3% 3.6% -0.3%
Native American;
Alaskan Indian;
Pacific Islander
1.3% 1% +0.3%
Middle Eastern 3.3% Not
available
Not
available
Films 1990 to 2004
0
10
20
30
40
50
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
White Black Latino Asian Middle Easterner
Race
Criminals
Police
Professionals
Fall Colors: 2003-04 Prime Time Diversity Report (Children Now)
Race of TV Criminals
Middle Eastern (46%)
Asian (15%)
Latino (15%)
Black (10%)
White (5%)
Fall Colors: 2003-04 Prime Time Diversity Report (Children Now)
Unknown (2%)
Other (1%)
Black (48%)
White (49%)
FBI Uniform Crime Report (2004)
Race of Real World Murderers

Content Analysis of LA TV News
Felonies
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
African
American
White
Arrest %
TV %
Police Officers
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
African
American
White
Actual %
TV %