REVIEW Antisocial Relations

Learning Objectives

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

36-1 What is prejudice? What are its social and emotional roots?

ANSWER: Prejudice is an unjustifiable, usually negative, attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice's three components are beliefs (often stereotypes), emotions, and predispositions to action (discrimination). Overt prejudice in North America has decreased over time, but implicit prejudice—an automatic, unthinking attitude—continues. The social roots of prejudice include social inequalities and divisions. Higher-status groups often justify their privileged position with the just-world phenomenon. We tend to favor our own group (ingroup bias) as we divide ourselves into “us” (the ingroup) and “them” (the outgroup). Prejudice can also be a tool for protecting our emotional well-being, as when we focus our anger by blaming events on a scapegoat.

Question

36-2 What are the cognitive roots of prejudice?

ANSWER: The cognitive roots of prejudice grow from our natural ways of processing information: forming categories, remembering vivid cases, and believing that the world is just and that our own and our culture's ways of doing things are the right ways.

Question

36-3 How does psychology's definition of aggression differ from everyday usage? What biological factors make us more prone to hurt one another?

ANSWER: In psychology's more specific meaning, aggression is any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally. Biology influences our threshold for aggressive behaviors at three levels: genetic (inherited traits), neural (activity in key brain areas), and biochemical (such as alcohol or excess testosterone in the bloodstream). Aggression is a complex behavior resulting from the interaction of biology and experience.

Question

36-4 What psychological and social-cultural factors may trigger aggressive behavior?

ANSWER: Frustration (frustration-aggression principle), previous reinforcement for aggressive behavior, observing an aggressive role model, and poor self-control can all contribute to aggression. Media portrayals of violence provide social scripts that children learn to follow. Viewing sexual violence contributes to greater aggression toward women. Playing violent video games increases aggressive thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

prejudice (p. 462)
stereotype (p. 462)
discrimination (p. 462)
just-world phenomenon (p. 465)
ingroup (p. 465)
outgroup (p. 465)
ingroup bias (p. 465)
scapegoat theory (p. 466)
other-race effect (p. 467)
aggression (p. 468)
frustration-aggression principle (p. 470)
social script (p. 471)
the tendency to favor our own group.
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.
the principle that frustration-the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal-creates anger, which can generate aggression.
culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.
"them"—those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.
the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.
the tendency to recall faces of one's own race more accurately than faces of other races. Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias.
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.
"us"—people with whom we share a common identity.
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 12.10

1. Prejudice toward a group involves negative feelings, a tendency to discriminate, and overly generalized beliefs referred to as .

Question 12.11

2. If several well-publicized murders are committed by members of a particular group, we may tend to react with fear and suspicion toward all members of that group. What psychological principle can help explain this reaction?

ANSWER: This reaction could occur because we tend to overgeneralize from vivid, memorable cases.

Question 12.12

3. The other-race effect occurs when we assume that other groups are (more/less) homogeneous than our own group.

Question 12.13

4. Evidence of a biochemical influence on aggression is the finding that

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 12.14

5. When those who feel frustrated become angry and aggressive, this is referred to as the .

Question 12.15

6. Studies show that parents of delinquent young people tend to use beatings to enforce discipline. This suggests that aggression can be

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 12.16

7. Social scientists studying the effects of pornography have mostly agreed that violent pornography

A.
B.
C.
D.

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