PSYS462

041391

The purpose of this course is to examine one of the most important problems facing the world today: Prejudice. Over 70 years of research in social psychology indicates that our daily interactions with others are influenced by negative attitudes and beliefs that we learn from our family, friends, the media, and the broader culture. However, while documenting the antecedents of prejudice, researchers have also identified over 25 strategies that effectively alter prejudiced attitudes, negative stereotypes and discrimination. So why is there still so much prejudice and discrimination in the world today? Addressing this question requires understanding not only the psychological roots of prejudice, but also what social psychologists have learned about changing attitudes, beliefs and behavior. The broad aim of this course is to examine the prejudice and prejudice reduction literature so that students can formulate novel ideas about how to reduce the prevalence of intergroup bias.
The course material will focus on how the social context determines the way that prejudice operates in everyday life. We will consider the following questions: What is a prejudiced attitude and how does it differ from a negative stereotype? When and how do prejudice attitudes and beliefs influence our behavior? How do we form negative attitudes and beliefs and are they conscious or unconscious? Are we always thoughtful and rational when we interact with an out-group member? When are we most likely to act on egalitarian attitudes and values? Can negative attitudes and beliefs be changed? Do these changes occur best at the structural or interpersonal level? What can the targets of prejudice do to reduce the biases directed at them during interaction with a prejudiced individual? We will seek answers to these and other questions in the readings, assignments and the discussions we will have in class.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Undergraduate

WE - WEC (Writing Emphasis Course)