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From Aversive Racism to the Common Ingroup Identity Model. Sam Gaertner. University of Delaware. Prejudice. Can exist among well-intentioned people with liberal, egalitarian values and non-prejudiced self-images. Can function automatically, without intention such that people are not aware
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From Aversive Racism to the Common Ingroup Identity Model Sam Gaertner University of Delaware
Prejudice Can exist among well-intentioned people with liberal, egalitarian values and non-prejudiced self-images. Can function automatically, without intention such that people are not aware that they are discriminating. Can involve unacknowledged negative feelings (anxiety, uneasiness) about outgroups as well as more acknowledged positive feelings about ingroups (see Meertens and Pettigrew) and beliefs about ingroup superiority over people in other groups.
Prejudice Can also exist among ill-intentioned people who represent the open flame of intergroup conflict and hatred. But the focus today is on Prejudice among the more well-intentioned who are AVERSE to racism and sexism especially their own BUT who have not completely escaped cultural, cognitive and motivational forces.
Motivation in Intergroup situations Don’t think bad thoughts Don’t have bad feelings Don’t behave improperly (Don’t Discriminate) A costly strategy Interaction + Rebound Avoid Acting Inappropriately i.e., in prejudicial ways
People Can DISCRIMINATE In subtle, unintentional, rationalizable ways that preclude them from recognizing that they discriminated.
Predictions: • No discrimination • In situations that have clear social norms to guide behavior. • Discrimination is more likely to occur: • When social norms are weak or ambiguous. • When factors other race or sex unintentionally can be used to rationalize unfavorable behavior.
“Sorry,Wrong Number” StudyCalls to Liberal and Conservative Party Members 1970“Hello, Ralph’s Garage. This is George (or Mrs.) Williams and I’m stuck out here on the parkway.” When norms are STRONG and When norms are WEAK “Sorry, you got the wrong number…this isn’t a garage.” Predictions:
What if someone needs help because: A) She chose to play rather than work B) She was working, but she had a very difficult task A Test of the Normative Structure Hypothesis When norms (to help) are Strong – NO DISCRIMINATION When norms (to help) are weak -- DISCRIMINATION That is, Whites would NOT discriminate when a failure to help would be inappropriate In which instance are the norms to help stronger?
Why is help needed – and who asks for help? Partner Playing Rather than Working Difficult Task
Why is help needed – and who asks for help? Partner Playing Rather than Working Difficult Task
Reversal – Participant Needs Help And He Has a Black or White Partner Accepting or Asking For Help
Reversal – Participant Needs Help And He Has a Black or White Partner Accepting or Asking For Help
Presence of Other Bystanders: A non-race related reason to remain inactive?
Discrimination In Employment Decisions Subtle attitudes can affect how qualifications are perceived and weighted in a manner that disadvantages minority applicants Predictions: No Discriminationwhen Black or White candidates’ qualifications are clearly strong or clearly weak Discriminationwhen candidates’ qualifications are moderate or ambiguous
Strong Moderate Weak Sensitive Intelligent Relaxed Sensitive Intelligent Emotional Independent Forthright Intense Self Descriptions Captain Swim Team In High School And Member of Disciplinary Board Co-Captain Swim Team In High School Co-Captain Chess Team In High School Leadership Experience It’s too personal and She must talk with her parents Advice to Pregnant Student Explain options and Ask if she wants # Of Health Center Ask if she wants # Of Health Center Dovidio & Gaertner, 2000 Study 1: Aversive Racism and Selection Decisions Percentage of students recommending a Black and White candidate for a peer counseling position Qualifications
Study 1: Subtle Discrimination and Selection Decisions: Percentage of students recommending a Black and White candidate for a peer counseling position Percentage of students recommending a Black and White candidate for a peer counseling position
Subtle Discrimination in Selection Decisions: 1989 and 1999 1989 1999
Credentials: Grades SAT Scores Strong Qualifications High _____ High Mixed or High High _____ Low Low Ambiguous Qualifications Ambiguous Qualifications _____ _____ _____ _____ or High High Low Low Weak Qualifications _____ Low Low Hodson, Dovidio & Gaertner (2002) Study 2: Black and White Applicants to College
College Admission Decisions Subtle Prejudice among College Students Higher Prejudice Scorers – who see themselves as non prejudiced % who recommended admission
When Credentials Were Ambiguous Did people weigh the admission criteria in a manner that disadvantaged the Black Candidate?
SAT Grades How important are SAT scores and Grades for College Admission Decisions? Black Candidates Rank order in importance High Low High Low High High Low Low
Is Resistance to Affirmative Action Subtle Racism? “The problem with AFFIRMATIVE ACTION is that Blacks and other minorities (perhaps even an MBA or Geologist :)with lower abilitywill be hired, or worse, become my supervisor.” Is this objection to affirmative action -- Myth or Reality? If this is Reality – then people should respond unfavorably to Black supervisors who are lower in ability than themselves -- But respond favorably to Black supervisors who are higher in ability than themselves
So we designed an experiment to find out? We arranged for White male college students to interact with: A Black or White male Partner who became their Supervisor or their Worker and who had either Higher or Lower job related abilitythan themselves. Then we measured these students’ reactions to these situations Pencils are not only for writing.
Is Resistance to AA based primarily on Race, Role, or Ability?
Suggests: Resistance to AA based on Race and Role – Not Ability
How can we reduce this form of bias? How can we bring people’s behavior into alignment with their non-prejudiced Self–images? How can we create a connection to outgroup members
Tajfel’s IdentityContinuum and Allport’s Circles of Inclusion humanity race nation city INDIVIDUAL GROUP neighborhood family
“The attractiveness of an individual is not constant, but varies with ingroup membership” (Turner, et al., 1987). An Experiment: What if members of two groups conceived of themselves as: One Group Two Groups or Separate Individuals Predictions
Positive Evaluation Two Groups +++ Self
Positive Evaluation One Group +++ Self
Positive Evaluation One Group +++ Self
Positive Evaluation One Group +++ Self
Positive Evaluation One Group +++ Self
Positive Evaluation One Group +++ Self
Self Positive Evaluation One Group +++
Positive Evaluation Two Groups +++ Self
Positive Evaluation Separate Individuals +++ Self
Positive Evaluation Separate Individuals +++ Self
Positive Evaluation Separate Individuals +++ Self
Positive Evaluation Separate Individuals +++ Self