COURSE CODE: S0C 214

COURSE TITLE: Social Psychology I

LECTURER: Tony Ogette

 PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
• Overview:
Prejudice and discrimination are usually root
causes of human conflict , which can result in
crime, war, and mass murder, like genocide.
They explain how strangers come to hate one
another to the extent of inflicting harm on
others. Everyone is affected by prejudice and
discrimination.
In this lecture, we will examine the definitions
of these concepts, types and causes.
 Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this lecture, you will be able to:
• Define Prejudice, Stereotype and Discrimination.
• Distinguish among Prejudice, Stereotype, and
Discrimination.
• Connect Stereotype, Prejudice, and
Discrimination.
 UNDERSTANDING PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION
• Humans have diverse characteristics even though we
also share many similarities. We all belong to one
group or the other and the social groups we belong to
help form our identities. These differences are often
difficult for most people to reconcile, and this usually
leads to prejudice toward people we see or perceived
as different from us.

• Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling towards an

individual based solely on his/her membership of a
particular social group. Prejudice is common against
people who are members of an unfamiliar cultural
group.
However, tendency towards prejudice can be reduced
by:
• Certain types of education or re-orientation about
other social groups.
• Prolonged contact with members of other groups.
• Constant interactions between members of different
groups.
• Building relationships with members of other social
groups.
The above steps will automatically lead to increased
positive attitude towards the other group as well as
increase in positive traits associated with the other
social group, its members.
• Social group includes gender, race, ethnicity,
nationality, social class, religion, sexual
orientation, profession etc. In relation to social
roles, an individual can be a member of more than
one social group simultaneously.
• An example of prejudice is having a negative
attitude towards people who are not from your
tribe or of different religious affiliations.
– Can you think of a prejudiced attitude you have
held towards a group of people?
– How did your prejudice develop?
• Prejudice often begins in the form of a Stereotype—
that is, a specific belief or assumption about
individuals based solely on their membership of a
particular group, regardless of their individual
characteristics or peculiarities. Stereotypes become
over-generalized and applied to all members of a
group.
• E.g. Someone holding prejudiced attitudes towards the
Igbos, may believe that they love money, and can do
anything for money.
• Therefore, this negative belief is over-generalized to
all Igbo people, even though many of them may in fact
be different.  
• Whether you agree with a stereotype or not, they are
generally well-known within a given culture. Sometimes
people will act on their prejudiced attitudes towards a
group of people, and this behaviour is known as
discrimination.
• Discrimination is negative action toward an individual as
a result of one’s membership of a particular social group.
By holding negative beliefs (stereotypes) and negative
attitudes (prejudice) about a particular social group,
people usually give poor treatment to the target of
prejudice. E.g. deliberately excluding an Igbo person from
the circle of your friends, or from being a member of a
financial committee, is discrimination.
– Have you ever been the target of discrimination? If so,
how did this negative treatment make you feel?
 Connecting Stereotypes, Prejudice, & Discrimination

Item Function Connection Example

Stereotype Cognitive; thoughts Over generalized beliefs “ Igbo ladies love

about people about people may lead to money and arrogant.”
prejudice.

Prejudice Affective; feelings Feelings may influence “I hate Igbo ladies;

about people, both treatment of others, they make me angry.”
positive and negative leading to discrimination.

Discrimination Behavioural; positive Holding stereotypes and “I will never hire nor
or negative treatment harbouring prejudice may become friends with a
of others lead to excluding, avoiding, person if he or she is
and biased treatment of an Igbo.”
group members.
• However, it is important to note that people can
also hold positive thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours toward individuals based on group
membership. E.g. they would show preferential
treatment for people who are like themselves. That
is, people that share the same gender, ethnic,
religion, race, or favourite sports team.
 SUMMARY/CONCLUSION
• Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling towards an
individual based solely on one’s membership of a
particular social group.
• Stereotype is a specific belief or assumption about
individuals based solely on their membership of a
particular group.
• Discrimination is negative action toward an individual as
a result of one’s membership of a particular group.
• There is connection between Stereotype, Prejudice, and
Discrimination.
• People can also hold positive thoughts, feelings, and
behaviours toward individuals based on group
membership.
 SELF ASSESSMENT
• Define Stereotype, Prejudice and
Discrimination.
• Describe how prejudice can be reduced.
• Distinguish between Stereotype, Prejudice
and Discrimination, and describe the
connection between the three concepts.
 TEST
1. Explain the following concepts:
i. Social Role
ii. Social Norms
iii. Script

2. With appropriate examples, connect the

concepts of social role, social norms and script.
• BIBLIOGRAPHY/FURTHER READINGS
• OpenStax College, Introduction to Psychology.
OpenStax College. 8 December 2014.
(available for free at
https://cnx.org/content/col11629/1.5)

• Zimbardo P.G. (1992). Psychology and Life.

Harper Collins, New York.