MAKATI SCIENCE TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE

PHILIPPINES
4410 erl bldg, Old Sta. Mesa St, Sampaloc, Metro Manila

SOBREVEGA, CAESAR JOHN P.

BS PSYCHOLOGY 3C
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
PROF. JHAVEN MAÑ AS

Nature and power of prejudice

In our world, that full of perfection, most of us are keeping ourselves better than anyone else
in order to step up on the ladder of success. Some people are trampling on the character of others.
During the early 1800s in the USA, white Americans enjoyed privileges and rights, while black
Americans were discriminated against and didn’t have the power to elect themselves as government
officers. At that time, It's easy to think that everyone else is perfect, so most of us tried to be better
than everyone else. In order to get ahead, some people step on the character of others. In the United
States in the early 1800s, white Americans had more rights and privileges than black Americans, who
were discriminated against and couldn't elect themselves as government officials because racism was
common at the time. To go back to our definition of prejudice, it is someone else's opinion that isn't
based on facts or reason. This is against people from different backgrounds, such as race, ethnicity,
beliefs, and culture. However, it's important to remember that not all prejudice is harmful. Based on
Myers's book, being prejudiced means having certain feelings, acting in certain ways, and believing
certain things. To remember this, think of it as having three parts: affect (feelings), behaviors
(trends), and cognition (beliefs). It is up to the person or group in question to like or hate someone.
Even though labels can be used to judge someone negatively, they should not be used to generalize
about them without looking for the truth. In addition, because bias is linked to stereotypes, it also
shows discrimination against others, like what I said earlier about early black and white Americans.
Being prejudiced can lead to discriminatory behavior, and discriminatory behavior is when someone
or a group is treated badly without a good reason. Soon after, discrimination, racism, and sexism
followed. Once again, these are all bad behaviors that go along with prejudice, which is an attitude.
Getting back Racism and sexism are institutionalized forms of discrimination that happen even when
no one is trying to be unfair. Racism is when someone acts badly towards people of a certain race,
and sexism is when someone acts badly towards people of a certain sex. This is an example of
intersectionality, which means combining the stories of people and groups who are excluded.

What are the social sources of prejudice?

Pride can be traced back to a wide variety of factors. One explanation is that it is motivated
by a need to justify and maintain social rank distinctions. By observing our parents, we can gain
insight into the characteristics that they value in other people. Prejudice may be fostered by the
mechanisms that make up our society. First, let us consider the ways in which prejudice can protect
one's social standing. There is a principle that should be kept in mind, and that is "Unequal status
breeds prejudice." This principle makes it abundantly clear that those who justify themselves as
slaves are lazy, irresponsible, and lacking in ambition and son, whereas those who are wealthy, just
like upper-class individuals, are more likely to be far away from poverty, have earned many
accomplishments, skill, and effort, and have done so precisely because money is power for them.
Furthermore, those who regard other people in terms of hierarchies are highly socially dominating.
They are always bringing their own social groups to high levels, which is a positive thing since they
prefer to be at the top, to be dominant, and to be in a high-status position in order to encourage
better orientation. This is what Bractt et al. (2016) have stated. When you argue with someone who
has a powerful desire to be at the top of their field, you encourage other individuals who are high in
social dominance to participate in prejudice and to support political stances that legitimize prejudice.
Furthermore, because prejudice is the act of imparting preconceived thoughts, it is also related with
an authoritarian personality, which is characterized by a tendency towards favorable conformity to
authority and an inability to accept the opinions, beliefs, or behavior of a group and people who are
in a lower status. In addition, it is normal practice to bring up children in ways that either foster or
discourage bias. There is a widespread belief that those who display authoritarian characteristics
have been socialized to be obedient and intolerant. Each and every segment of society, including
families and religious organizations, possesses the ability to either reinforce or eliminate biases.

What are the motivational sources of prejudice?

There are many distinct reasons why people exhibit prejudice. On the other hand,
justifications have the potential to encourage individuals to stop displaying the behaviors of bias. The
phenomenon of misplaced aggressiveness is referred to as scapegoating in René Girard's Scapegoat
Theory. Scapegoating is related to frustration that either prevents a goal from being achieved or
feeds hatred. Furthermore, because people frequently seek self-esteem by identifying with a group,
which can be defined as our gender, race, religion, marital status, and so on, and because circles
include members of the ingroup and exclude members of the outgroup, ingroup bias helps
individuals develop a positive self-concept. This is because individuals strive to improve their self-
image by attempting to enhance their self-esteem and not just their personal identity but also their
social identity. For instance, when our section in our course has students who have passed the final
exam, we have the ability to make the section feel better by carrying it forward and providing it with
more support. If we are given an occasion to think of ourselves as a group, we will do so, and then we
will demonstrate ingroup bias towards one another. This is due to the fact that we have such a
powerful sense of group awareness. This is due to the fact that we have such a robust comprehension
of the concept of group awareness. It is not enough for people to simply be biased; they are also
motivated to circumvent prejudice. The motivations of individuals serve as a guide in both directions.
Those who are able to break the habit of bias, on the other hand, are the ones who have the
motivation to refrain from exercising prejudice.
What are the cognitive sources of prejudice?
It is possible to attribute the presence of prejudiced attitudes not only to the process
of socialization and the fact that they contribute to the relocation of hostilities, but also to the fact
that they are the products of mental processes that are believed to be normal. This is
because biased attitudes are produced by mental processes that are thought to be of a normal nature.
According to the findings of Macrae et al. (2001). In order to simplify our surroundings, we can
reduce the complexity of the world by classifying things into groups and grouping them together.
Organizing the world by putting together things that are comparable to one another is one method
that may be used in order to make the world simpler to traverse. When we are pushed for time,
distracted, exhausted, and emotionally aroused, we find it simple and convenient to rely on
stereotypes in relation to spontaneous categorization. When compared to their actual characteristics,
the things that make up a group tend to appear to be same to one another in a substantial way. The
fact that they are clustered together is the reason for this finding. Because of this, we were able to
recognize both similarities and distinctions, such as the fact that all apples are red, or all pencils are
yellow. Individuals are comparable to one another in the same way. When we classify people into
categories, such as an athlete, an actor, or a college professor, we tend to exaggerate the similarities
that exist within the categories as well as the disparities that exist across the categories. Simply
dividing people into distinct groups can give rise to a phenomenon known as the outgroup
homogeneity effect. This phenomenon is characterized by the notion that the individuals in question
are "all alike" in contrast to "us" and "our." The societal beliefs that we encounter on a daily basis give
rise to stereotypes. A tendency to pull people in and distort their perception is exhibited by persons
who are very striking or by situations that are exceptionally spectacular. One might argue that the
existence of stereotypes is supported by the fact that people's perceived qualities are connected to
their membership in a certain group.

What are the consequences of prejudice?

Having prejudice means making immediate choices. Prejudices are unavoidable because
none of us can keep an unbiased record of social events, gathering proof for and against our own
ideas. Furthermore, preconceived ideas play a significant role.
Prior beliefs affect both our ability to pay attention and remember things. Someone who
believes in gender stereotypes often remembers their school grades in a way that fits with the image.
For example, women often think they got lower grades in math and better grades in the arts than
they actually did. We also remember things more clearly when we know they belong to a certain
group, like a certain race or sex. Thoughts and feelings can be repeated. For example, if a group
member acts the way we think they will, we write it down; our earlier opinion is confirmed. We could
try to explain or excuse someone's bad behaviors by saying that it was caused by unusual
circumstances when they don't live up to our standards. According to Allport G. (1958), attitudes
may fit the social order to both understand it and demonstrate that discrimination hurts the people
who experience it. Being a victim can have 15 different affects, which Allport wrote about in The
Nature of Prejudice. He discussed two main types of responses: those that involve blaming others
(avoidance, self-hatred, and violence against one's own group) and those that involve blaming
oneself (fighting back, suspicion, and more group pride). Concern about being judged based on a bad
image can be disruptive, according to prejudice.
Unlike self-fulfilling prophecies that change how someone sees themselves, stereotype
threat scenarios have immediate effects. There is hope despite stereotypes and prejudice: our ideas
about the world may reflect truth, but they may also be wrong. Individuals can respect and value
their uniqueness by embracing variety. Based on Jussim, L. (2012). Although stereotypes are one of
the biggest effects in social psychology, they do affect how we judge people and how we understand
what is going on in the world when they are strong. People may be judged or treated differently
because of assumptions. Stereotypes can have a significant impact on one's perceptions and
memories of others. For this reason, stubborn assumptions can change how we see people and
events.