Prejudice

• Realistic conflict theory

  Situational explanation of prejudice
• Realistic conflict theory

  • Matter of survival: pass on genes to future generations
  • Competition: needed for conflict and hostility between groups
  • Scarce resources: groups compete for limited resources, scarcer the resource the more hostility
  • Only one winner: depend on the other group losing
  • Scapegoating: blames other group for all faults in society
• Superordinate goals

  Mutually desirable goals
• Realistic conflict theory

  Explains prejudice between groups
• Supporting evidence for realistic conflict theory

  • Sherif - creating competition between Rattlers and Eagles eg: tug of war
• Authoritarian personality

  More likely to be hostile
• Realistic conflict theory

  • Reductionist (strength)
  • Individual differences (weakness)
• Sherif classic study - Robbers Cave

  Aim: to see if prejudice is formed by social groups and if it can be reduced
• Sherif classic study - Robbers Cave

  1. Stage 1: in-group formation

  2. Stage 2: inter-group formation

  3. Stage 3: inter-group relations
• Sherif classic study - Robbers Cave

  • Procedure: didn't know they were taking part, 22 males aged 11, matched based on IQ, teachers ratings, sporting ability
  • Data collection: tape recordings, participant observations
• Stage 1: group leaders decided, group names given (Rattlers, Eagles)
• Stage 2: name calling, discrimination widely displayed
• Stage 3: initial hostility, hostility subsided after superordinate goals introduced
• Sherif classic study - Robbers Cave

  • Strengths: ecological validity - natural environment, ethics - no names/ personal details given
  • Weaknesses: ethics - no right to withdraw, low controls - extraneous variables