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Prejudice is a valenced (i.e., can be positive or negative) attitude that is unwarranted (Allport, 1954[1]). Although prejudice is often regarded as morally wrong, sorting members of a social group into a negative category may simply be part of a natural tendency towards social categorisation. (Augoustinos, 1994[2]).

Contact theory edit

 

Allport specified four conditions for optimal intergroup contact:

  1. equal group status within the situation,
  2. common goals,
  3. intergroup cooperation and
  4. authority support.

Intergroup contact theory suggests that quality contact (i.e., contact that facilitates effective interaction) can reduce negative attitudes by eliciting positive emotions (Pettigrew, 1998)[3].

References edit

  1. Allport, G. W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Reading MA: Addison-Wesley.
  2. Augoustinos, M., Ahrens, C., & Innes, J. M. (1994). Stereotypes and prejudice: The Australian experience. British Journal of Social Psychology, 33(1), 125-141.
  3. Pettigrew, T. F. (1998). Intergroup contact theory. Annual Review of Psychology, 49, 65-85.

See also edit

  Search for Prejudice on Wikipedia.

External links edit