Prejudice
Prejudice is a preconceived judgment often resistant to rational influence.
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Prejudice is an affective feeling, evaluation, or classification of a person based on perceived social group membership, often preconceived and unfavorable. The word entered Middle English around 1300, derived from Old French and ultimately from Latin praeiūdicium, combining prae (before) and iūdicium (judgment).
It can refer to a preconceived, usually unfavorable, judgment based on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, or occupation, and may apply to any unreasonable attitude unusually resistant to rational influence. Gordon Allport defined prejudice as a feeling toward a person or thing prior to or not based on actual experience. Later theorists described it as involving symbolic transfer, where value-laden meanings are applied to social categories and then to individuals within them, along with resistance to change and overgeneralization.
Historical approaches
Psychological research on prejudice began in the 1920s, initially attempting to prove white supremacy. By the 1930s and 1940s, concern over Nazi anti-Semitism shifted views, with theorists like Theodor Adorno linking prejudice to an authoritarian personality—rigid thinkers who obeyed authority and enforced strict social hierarchies. In 1954, Allport’s The Nature of Prejudice connected prejudice to categorical thinking, arguing it is a natural human process essential for orderly living, and proposed the contact hypothesis, which holds that contact between groups can reduce prejudice under certain conditions. Research in the 1970s revealed that prejudice often stems from ingroup favoritism rather than outgroup hostility, with positive emotions reserved for one’s own group.
Thomas Pettigrew described the ultimate attribution error in 1979, where negative outgroup behavior is attributed to dispositional causes while positive behavior is dismissed as exceptional. Later theories, such as Young-Bruehl’s, argued that different prejudices correspond to different character types, serving as social defenses. The Implicit Association Test, developed to measure hidden or unconscious biases, has been widely used, with over 40 million completions on the Project Implicit website in 2023 alone. The United Nations Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility has identified prejudice as a global security threat due to its role in scapegoating populations and inciting violence.
Quick Facts
- First psychological research
- 1920s
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In the 1930s and 1940s, theorists like Theodor Adorno shifted focus to anti-Semitism and authoritarian personality, describing authoritarians as rigid thinkers who obey authority and enforce social hierarchies. He introduced the contact hypothesis, which posits that intergroup contact under certain conditions can reduce prejudice. In the 1970s, Marilyn Brewer found prejudice often stems from ingroup favoritism rather than outgroup hatred. Contemporary theories include the out-group homogeneity effect, the justification-suppression model, realistic conflict theory, and integrated threat theory.
Reader's Guide
Prejudice remains a central concept in psychology and social science, with research spanning nearly a century. Its significance lies in its pervasive impact on intergroup relations, from individual bias to global security threats. The United Nations Institute on Globalization, Culture and Mobility has identified prejudice as a security threat due to its use in scapegoating and inciting violence against populations.
The evolution of theories—from early racist frameworks to modern models like integrated threat theory and the justification-suppression model—reflects a deepening understanding of prejudice as both a cognitive and social phenomenon. Gordon Allport's contact hypothesis continues to inform interventions aimed at reducing prejudice, while the Implicit Association Test provides a tool for measuring unconscious biases. The recognition that prejudice can arise from ingroup favoritism rather than outgroup hostility, as noted by Marilyn Brewer, challenges simplistic views of prejudice as mere antipathy.
The ultimate attribution error and out-group homogeneity effect further illustrate how cognitive processes perpetuate bias. Despite advances, prejudice remains resistant to rational influence, as noted in the definition of it as an unreasonable attitude. The ongoing research and global concern underscore its enduring relevance in addressing discrimination and conflict.
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Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Prejudice (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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