causes of prejudice

• exaggerating differences is when people prefer others who are similar (share attitudes) and exaggerate how others differ
• justifying economic status is when differing economic statuses cause someone to say their status is superior and others are inferior. judgements about work ethic, motivation,etc.
• social learning is when people acquire the attitudes of parents/family members who reinforce those ideas (pass-down prejudices)
• victimization is when people who face prejudice attempt to gain power/pride by asserting superiority/over another who is worse off
• scapegoat is when an individual/group is blamed for the problems of others because the root causes are too complex/challenging to be confronted (aggression against the targeted group). the target group is too weak to defend themselves