Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
High-Yield Summary
- Cognition-to-behavior spectrum: stereotype = belief, prejudice = attitude, discrimination = behavior. Stereotypes are necessary cognitive shortcuts (categorize/predict/react); harm comes from fueling prejudice/discrimination.
- Stereotype Content Model (Fiske et al., 2002): classifies stereotypes on 2 axes — warmth (not in competition for resources) and competence (high societal status) — 4 combinations, not just positive/negative valence.
- Self-fulfilling prophecy (Merton, 1948): an expectation creates conditions that confirm itself — broad concept, changes how the EXPECTER treats another person. Stereotype threat (Steele & Aronson, 1995): narrower — a stereotyped person's OWN anxiety about confirming a stereotype undermines their own performance.
- Prejudice = irrational attitude formed before direct experience; often shaped by propaganda (fear + exaggerated negative depictions). Influenced by power (control resources), prestige (respect), class (socioeconomic status) — inequality in these breeds 'haves vs. have-nots' prejudice.
- Ethnocentrism (Sumner, 1906): judging other cultures by one's own culture's standards (ranks cultures). Cultural relativism: recognizes another culture's values as valid within its own context, without ranking. Opposite orientations.
- In-group (belonging) vs. out-group (not identified with) — Sumner. Out-group negativity is often in-group favoritism in disguise (rate own group more positively), not genuine dislike of the out-group.
- Discrimination = behavior (vs. prejudice = attitude); prejudice doesn't always lead to discrimination. Individual discrimination = conscious, obvious, removable by removing the person. Institutional discrimination = built into structure, subtle, persists via maintenance of the status quo.
Key Terms
- Stereotype
- A belief/category-based assumption about a group, based on limited/superficial information.
- Prejudice
- An irrational positive or negative attitude toward a person/group, formed before direct experience.
- Discrimination
- A behavior: treating members of a group differently due to prejudicial attitudes.
- Stereotype Content Model
- Fiske et al.: classifies stereotypes by warmth (competition for resources) and competence (societal status).
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Merton: expectations create conditions that lead to their own confirmation.
- Stereotype threat
- Steele & Aronson: anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype about one's own group, which can impair performance.
- Ethnocentrism
- Sumner: judging other cultures by the standards/values of one's own culture.
- Cultural relativism
- Recognizing another culture's values as valid within its own context, without ranking cultures.
- Institutional discrimination
- Discrimination built into an institution's structure/practices; subtle and persists via the status quo.
Stereotype vs. Prejudice vs. Discrimination
| Term | Category |
|---|---|
| Stereotype | Belief (cognitive) |
| Prejudice | Attitude (formed before experience) |
| Discrimination | Behavior (individual or institutional) |
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy vs. Stereotype Threat
| Concept | What changes / whose behavior |
|---|---|
| Self-fulfilling prophecy | Broad — an expectation changes how the EXPECTER treats someone, producing the expected outcome |
| Stereotype threat | Narrow — the stereotyped person's OWN anxiety impairs their OWN performance |
Common MCAT Trap
- Sort every vignette into stereotype (belief) → prejudice (attitude) → discrimination (behavior) first, in that order of cognition-to-behavior.
- Ethnocentrism ranks cultures against one's own; cultural relativism recognizes difference without ranking — opposite orientations to the same comparison act.
- Individual discrimination disappears if the person is removed; institutional discrimination persists regardless of which individuals are involved — it's structural.
- Out-group negativity is frequently explained by in-group favoritism (rating your own group higher), not real dislike of the out-group's actual traits.
Quick Recall
A teacher expects a student to underperform and unconsciously calls on them less, causing the student to actually underperform. Which mechanism?
A stereotyped test-taker becomes anxious about confirming a negative stereotype about their group and performs worse as a result. Which mechanism?
A person dismisses a foreign wedding custom as 'wrong' because it doesn't match their own culture's norms. Ethnocentrism or cultural relativism?
A qualified job applicant is rejected due to a hiring policy that has historically disadvantaged their group, with no single identifiable biased actor. Individual or institutional discrimination?
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