Motives Underlying Stereotype-Based Discrimination Against Members of Stigmatized Groups

• NCJ Number: 230466
• Journal: Social Justice Research Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2010 Pages: 1-16
• Author(s): Eric Luis Uhlmann; Victoria L. Brescoll; Edouard Machery
• Date Published: March 2010
• Length: 16 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines the motives underlying stereotyping of racial minorities and other stigmatized groups.

Abstract

The auothors argue that the motivations that underlie stereotype-based discrimination against racial minorities and other stigmatized groups often fail to meet standard criteria for rational judgments. Stereotyping of such groups is often driven by threats to one's self-esteem and a desire to rationalize inequality, and declines when the perceiver is motivated to be accurate. Also, Bayesian racism - the belief that it is rational to discriminate against individuals based on stereotypes about their racial group - correlates highly with negative feelings toward minorities and the desire to keep low-status groups in their place, and correlates negatively with indices of rational thinking. The motives that drive social judgments call into question whether people engage in stereotype-based discrimination for rational reasons. Table, figure, appendix, and references (Published Abstract)