Attitudes, Prejudice and Discrimination

Attitudes, Prejudice and Discrimination

Social influence could be described as the process by which a person's

attitudes, beliefs or behaviours are modified by the presence or

actions of others. Some individuals feel that they can only truly be

themselves when alone, whilst others are happier when in company.

Triplett (1898) carried out one of the first experimental studies on

social influence. He asked children to turn a fishing reel as fast as

they could and he measured how quickly they did it. Triplett set up

the experiment so that a child would either be working alone, with a

friend or with another child. He found that when the children were

working together they worked faster and even the presence of another

person who was not a friend seemed to have a stimulating effect on

their behaviour.

CONFORMITY

Conformity is a type of social influence expressed through exposure to

the views of a majority and manifested through our submission to those

views. David Myers (1999) describes conformity as 'a change in

behaviour or belief as a result of real or imagined group pressure'.

Although most people think of themselves as autonomous individuals,

they still tend to go along with - ie conform to - the social norms

and expectations that their social groups and societies have evolved.

According to Deutsch and Gerard (1955) there are two very powerful

psychological needs that lead people to conform to social norms. One

of these needs is the desire to be liked ie we conform because we

think that others will approve of and accept us. In addition, there is

the desire to be right ie we look to others - whom we believe to be

correct -...

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...wed hundreds of people to try to find an explanation for the

behaviour of the Nazis during World War Two. Adorus and his colleagues

found a pattern of personality characteristics which they called the

authoritarian personality. People with these behaviours were found to

be:

a) hostile to those they perceive to be of inferior status

b) obedient and servile to those of higher status

c) intolerant of uncertainty and ambiguity

d) conventional ie upholding traditional values

e) quite rigid in their opinions and beliefs, seeing most things in

terms of black and white

DISCRIMINATION

Discrimination is usually the behavioural expression of prejudice.

Discrimination is a way of behaving towards members of a categorized

group so that all members of that group are treated in the same,

usually unfair, way.