Prejudices are deeply rooted beliefs that individuals have about members of different groups based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, physical appearance, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic. Even though people often claim to be tolerant, they may still hold biased attitudes towards certain groups without being aware of them. This is due to various psychological mechanisms that sustain prejudice. In this article, I will explain these mechanisms and how they can manifest themselves even among those who profess tolerance.
One of the most significant psychological mechanisms that sustain prejudice is cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance occurs when an individual's beliefs conflict with their behavior or actions.
Someone who claims to be open-minded but holds negative views about immigrants may feel uncomfortable when confronted with evidence that contradicts their beliefs. To reduce this discomfort, they may deny the evidence or rationalize their views by downplaying the significance of their prejudiced attitude. This can lead them to continue holding prejudiced attitudes while appearing tolerant on the surface.
Another mechanism that sustains prejudice is the availability heuristic. The availability heuristic involves judging the likelihood of an event based on the ease with which examples come to mind. If individuals consistently see examples of a particular group committing crimes or engaging in illegal activities, they may overestimate the frequency of such behaviors and develop a negative view of that group. This can result in prejudice even if the group is not responsible for all criminal activity.
Self-serving bias is another psychological mechanism that sustains prejudice. Self-serving bias occurs when people attribute positive traits to themselves while blaming others for negative outcomes. Individuals may use self-serving bias to justify their biased attitudes towards groups they perceive as threatening or inferior.
Someone who believes in meritocracy may blame members of a certain group for their failure to succeed rather than considering external factors that might contribute to it.
Stereotyping is also a significant mechanism that sustains prejudice. Stereotypes are generalizations about a specific group based on limited information. People often hold stereotypes without realizing they do, and these assumptions can lead to prejudice.
Someone may believe that immigrants are lazy and unproductive because they heard it from a friend without considering other possible explanations.
Confirmation bias is another mechanism that sustains prejudice. Confirmation bias involves seeking out information that confirms one's existing beliefs while ignoring evidence that contradicts them. Individuals who hold negative views of a certain group may only seek out media coverage that reinforces those views, leading to further entrenchment of their prejudices.
Social identity theory posits that individuals define themselves by their membership in various groups. When individuals identify with a particular group, they may develop negative attitudes toward other groups to maintain their sense of uniqueness and superiority. This can result in prejudice even among those who claim to be tolerant.
Psychological mechanisms such as cognitive dissonance, availability heuristic, self-serving bias, stereotyping, confirmation bias, and social identity theory all play a role in sustaining prejudice, even among those who profess tolerance. To combat prejudice, individuals must be aware of these mechanisms and work to challenge their own biases through education, empathy, and exposure to diverse perspectives.
What psychological mechanisms sustain prejudice even among those who profess tolerance?
Prejudice is defined as an adverse judgment of people based on their perceived group membership rather than individual characteristics. It can be perpetuated by various psychological mechanisms that prevent individuals from acknowledging and challenging stereotypes about certain groups. These mechanisms include cognitive biases, social identity theory, in-group favoritism, and self-presentation bias.