POLI 100M: Poli-cal Psychology Lecture 10: Implicit A;tudes and Race Taylor N. Carlson Ceenstr@ucsd.edu
Announcements • Final project is due Saturday, Sept. 9, 11:30am – Submit to Turn it In on TritonEd – Review the rubric and detailed assignment guidelines on TritonEd • Office hours this week: today 2:30-4:30.
Last Time • Poli-cal Networks – Largely homogeneous, but more disagreement than we would expect – Psychological characteris-cs condi-on the effects of disagreement on poli-cal behavior • Social Media – Most content is not poli-cal, yet the poli-cal content can be consequen-al – Online networks are more diverse than offline networks – Facilitates affec-ve polariza-on
What ques-ons do you have?
Today: Driving Ques-ons • What is the difference between implicit and explicit a;tudes? How do they each impact behavior? • What are the psychological explana-ons for racial bias? • Should we care about psychology in understanding poli-cs?
Today: Learning Outcomes • Define the following key terms: implicit a;tude, explicit a;tude, implicit bias, explicit bias, linked fate, social iden-ty theory, contact hypothesis, self-monitoring • Describe the psychological mechanisms that might explain racial bias in the U.S. • Evaluate whether we should care about psychology in understanding poli-cs
Race in America
Stereotypes and Prejudice
Stereotypes & Prejudice: Defini-ons • In-group: a group to which an individual belongs • Out-group: any group other than the in-group • Prejudice: a hos-le or nega-ve a;tude toward a dis-nguishable group of people, based solely on their group membership
What causes prejudice? • Is it learned? Or are we born with it? • Evolu-onary Psychology Research: animals have a tendency to feel more favorably toward gene-cally similar others and to express fear toward dissimilar organisms • Social Psychology Research: Culture (parents, media) move us to assign nega-ve quali-es to people different from us
Social Cogni-ve Perspec-ve: Categoriza-on • Social categoriza-on simplifies the social world • In group favori-sm effect: we evaluate in- group members more posi-vely, reward them more, and expect beder treatment from them • Out group homogeneity effect: we see out group members as different from us, but all the same as one another
Implicit and Explicit A;tudes • Implicit a;tudes: evalua-ons that occur without conscious awareness towards an a;tude object or the self – “introspec-vely uniden-fied (or inaccurately iden-fied) traces of past experience that mediate favorable or unfavorable feeling, thought, or ac-on toward social objects” (Greenwald & Banaji) • Explicit a;tudes: evalua-ons that are expressed with conscious awareness toward an a;tude object or the self
Dual Process Model • Thoughts arise as a result of two processes – Implicit: automa-c, unconscious • Very difficult to change, form new habits, form new implicit associa-ons – Explicit: controlled, conscious • Can change with persuasion, educa-on
Dual Process Model: Stereotyping 1. When we perceive an individual, salient stereotypes are ac-vated automa-cally (Implicit) 2. Ac-vated stereotypes guide our expressed (explicit) a;tudes and/or behavior • When we are mo#vated and cogni#vely able , we can overcome implicit biases by altering our explicit behavior
When are we likely to stereotype? • Ambiguous, inadequate informa-on • Cogni-vely busy • In a bad mood
How do we learn stereotypes? • Social Learning Theory – Parents, peers, teachers • Children are not born with prejudice, but by age 7 most show signs of prejudice • Reinforcement: gender roles, tell kids who to be friends with, exposure to parent stereotyping behavior – Media
Social Learning Theory: The Media • Social Psychology Study – Par-cipants watched 7 college basketball games and 5 NFL playoff games – 77% of comments made about white players were about intelligence, whereas only about 22.5% of comments about black players were about intelligence – 65% of comments about black players were about athle-cs, whereas only about 12% of comments about white players were about athle-cs
Social Learning Theory: The Media • Perez (2015) shows several examples of how the media exposes us to specific associa-ons about minority groups – Immigra-on and La-nos – Illegal and Immigra-on [and Illegal and La-nos] – Crime and La-nos [other research shows Crime and African Americans as well]
n 40 a m r t c e m i d n r m e a v s i m Z n r i e g m e n b o m l a s n i Z o i k r r v t a y m a r e r e T d r l d o a 30 H n m a v a e t b . c c o i O a C d r r e y b v l e h S Maddow i n a m y g e i r n 20 K G i t o o h s Percent of Show Mentioning Race 10 0 n 40 a m r t e c i m d n r m e a s i v m Z n r i g e m e n b m o l n i a s Z i k o r v t r a y r m a e r T d e r l d o a 30 n H m a v a e t b . c c o i O d a C r r e y v b l e h S i O'Reilly n a y m g e n 20 i r K G i t o o h s 10 0 Jan 2013 Apr 2013 Jul 2013 Oct 2013 Jan 2014 Source: Engelhardt 2017 Date
Topic Attention Difference Between O'Reilly and Maddow Illegal Immigration ● Population ● Characteristics Race as a Problem ● City/Community Problems ● Deaths of Black Americans ● Racism ● Tea Party racism ● Discrimination ● Immigration Reform ● Civil/Voting Rights ● ● − 0.08 − 0.04 0 0.04 0.08 More O'Reilly Attention More Maddow Attention Source: Engelhardt 2017
Examples of Discrimina-on in Poli-cs
Candidate Evalua-ons: Experimental Evidence • Terkildsen (1993) – White voters shown three hypothe-cal candidates running for governor: white male, light-skinned black male, dark- skinned black male – White voters were less likely to report vo-ng for the darker skinned candidates • Kam (2007) – Implicit nega-ve a;tudes toward Hispanics reduces support for a Hispanic poli-cal candidate in the absence of par-san cues • Lajevardi working paper – Par-cipants were less likely to report vo-ng for a Muslim candidate of color than a non-Muslim, white candidate
Candidate Evalua-ons: Observa-onal Data • Highton (2004) – Exit poll data from the 1996 and 1998 House elec-ons suggest lidle support for the hypothesis that white voters discriminate against black candidates • Bullock (2000) – Precinct-level returns suggest that white support for Black Democra-c incumbents was not different from white support for two most successful white Democra-c candidates – Key advantage in this study is that party is held constant • Krupnikov & Piston (2015) – When a prejudiced strong par-san shares the par-sanship of a black candidate, s/he is likely to experience a decision conflict—prejudice and par-sanship in opposite direc-ons —decreasing the likelihood that s/he turns out to vote
Reducing Prejudice
Reducing Prejudice • Contact Theory – Coopera-ve Interdependence – Equal Status – Acquaintance Poten-al – Ins-tu-onal Support • Example: Sherif (1961) Scout Camp – Used coopera-ve ac-vi-es that required different groups working together – More likely to be friends with people in another group auer the cross-group ac-vi-es
Post-Racial or Most Racial?
Poli-cal Psychology
Topic Ques-on(s) Introduc-on What is poli-cal psychology? Individual Differences How do differences in personality, gene-cs, and psychophysiology impact poli-cal behavior? Vo-ng What are the psychological mo-va-ons behind why people vote and which candidates they support? (Mis)informa-on How do individuals process informa-on? Why do people believe poli-cal rumors? Media What role does the media play in informing the public? Why do individuals choose informa-on sources? Campaigns How do campaigns use psychology to win elec-ons?
Topic Ques-on(s) Irrelevant and Do “irrelevant” events influence poli-cal behavior? Why? Apoli-cal Influences on Poli-cal Behavior Polariza-on Why and how are liberals and conserva-ves different? Social Networks, Why and with whom do individuals discuss (or avoid Poli-cal Discussion, discussing) poli-cs? How do individuals engage with poli-cs and Social Media on social media? Implicit vs. Explicit What are the psychological explana-ons for racial bias in A;tudes poli-cs?
Reflec-ons • What are the advantages of thinking about poli-cs from a poli-cal psychological perspec-ve? • What are the disadvantages of thinking about poli-cs from a poli-cal psychological perspec-ve?
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