Chapter 1. Thinking About Other People: Stereotypes, Discrimination, and Prejudice

Attitudes are complex and only sometimes related to our behaviors. Like most attitudes, prejudicial attitudes can be connected with our cognitions about groups of people (also known as stereotypes), our negative attitudes and feelings about others (also referred to as prejudice), and our behaviors (discriminating against others). Understanding how and when these pieces connect to each other is an important goal of social psychology. Jane Elliott’s classic “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise helps demonstrate how stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice may be connected.