What are two reasons that appear to explain why people so often mimic one another? How might each of these processes function differently in different cultures? PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another Provide examples.
How are both the power of the situation and the power of the person evident in the results of Asch’s conformity research? Explain.
What are Robert J. Sternberg’s (in “Construct Validation of a Triangular Love Scale”) three components of intimate relationships? Is it
necessary for all three to be present in an intimate relationship? How do relationships that vary on these components differ from each other?
Using social exchange or equity theory, what are the elements that affect our willingness to stay in a relationship? Explain how these elements affect our choices. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
An unconscious association, belief, or attitude toward any social group is known as implicit bias.
People frequently attach certain features or characteristics to all members of a particular group due to implicit biases, a process known as stereotyping.
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It’s vital to keep in mind that implicit prejudices work almost totally behind the scenes.
Implicit biases are less intentional and controllable than explicit biases and prejudices.
Even if a person expresses explicit dislike of a given attitude or idea, they may still be biased on a subconscious level.
These prejudices may or may not correspond to our own sense of self and personal identity.
People might have favorable or bad feelings towards their own ethnicity, gender, religion, sexuality, or other personal characteristics in numerous instances.
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Causes
While some individuals would want to believe that they are immune to these biases and stereotypes, the truth is that everyone, whether they like it or not, participates in them.
This truth does not, however, imply that you are prejudiced or predisposed to discriminate against others.
Simply said, it means your brain is working in a way that allows you to make correlations and generalizations.
Apart from the fact that we are impacted by our surroundings and preconceptions that already exist in the society into which we were born, it is nearly impossible to escape society’s influence.
You can, however, become more aware of your subconscious thoughts and how society affects you.
Implicit biases are formed as a result of the brain’s inherent desire to sift, sort, and categorize information about the world.
Because of these characteristics, we’re prone to bias:
We have a proclivity towards looking for patterns.
The brain’s innate tendency to look for patterns and correlations in the world causes implicit bias.
This ability to establish associations with the world is essential for social cognition, or our ability to retain, analyze, and apply knowledge about individuals in social contexts.
We enjoy taking shortcuts.
Implicit prejudice, like other cognitive biases, arises from the brain’s need to simplify the world.
Because the brain is continually bombarded with more input than it can possibly comprehend, mental shortcuts help the brain filter through it all faster and more easily.
Our past experiences as well as our social conditioning play a part.
Experiences influence implicit biases, even if these opinions are not the consequence of direct personal experience.
People’s implicit associations about members of other social groups can be influenced by cultural conditioning, media depictions, and upbringing.
People’s Prejudices and the Psychology Behind Them
Test of Implicit Attitude
In 1995, social psychologists Mahzarin Banaji and Tony Greenwald invented the term implicit bias.
They suggested that unconscious connections and judgments controlled social conduct in an influential work outlining their theory of implicit social cognition.
To validate their argument, Banaji and Greenwald published their now-famous Implicit Association Test (IAT) in 1998.
The test employs a computer software to display a series of images and text to respondents in order to determine how long it takes them to pick between two options. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Images of faces from various racial backgrounds, for example, may be displayed to subjects along with either a positive or negative term.
When subjects viewed an image of someone from one race, they were instructed to click on a good phrase, and when they saw someone from another race, they were asked to click on a negative term. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
The Results and Their Interpretation
According to the researchers, when someone clicks quickly, it indicates that they have a stronger unconscious relationship.
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The researchers believe that if a person quickly clicks on a negative word every time they encounter someone of a certain race, it indicates that they have an implicit unfavorable bias toward people of that race.
The IAT has been used to measure unconscious prejudices relating to gender, weight, sexuality, disability, and other domains, in addition to implicit racial attitudes. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
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Over the last decade, the IAT has expanded in popularity and utilization, although it has recently come under assault.
Findings that the test results may be unreliable are among the most common critiques.
On one test, respondents may have a high racial bias score, but a low score the next time they are evaluated.
Also concerning is the fact that test results may not always correlate with individual behavior. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
People may do well on the IAT for one sort of prejudice, but the results may not properly predict how they would interact with members of a particular social group.
Discrimination Has a Link
Although the two notions are related, it is vital to note that implicit bias is not the same as racism.
Overt racism is prejudice against members of a particular racial group that is motivated by both explicit and implicit biases.
Ageism, sexism, homophobia, and ableism are examples of prejudice that can be impacted by unconscious biases. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
You can take a more active part in combating social stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice if you are aware of the possible impact of unconscious social biases. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Effects
Implicit biases can affect how you interact with people in social groupings.
Researchers have discovered that bias can occur in a variety of settings, including school, job, and court procedures.
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School
People can absorb unfavorable stereotypes about themselves as a result of implicit prejudice, a phenomenon known as stereotype threat.
Young girls, for example, are known to adopt implicit ideas about gender and arithmetic achievement, according to research. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
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Girls as young as nine years old have been proven to have unconscious views that women prefer language to math.
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Girls and women are less likely to seek math performance in school if these implicit biases are stronger. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Unconscious attitudes like these are thought to have a role in preventing women from choosing jobs in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Unconscious attitudes have also been shown to influence how teachers respond to student conduct in studies, implying that implicit prejudice can have a significant impact on educational access and academic attainment. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
According to one study, Black children, particularly Black boys, were more likely to be ejected from school due to behavioral difficulties.
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Teachers were more likely to focus on Black children than White children when directed to monitor for problematic behaviors.
Within the Office
While there are flaws with the Implicit Attitude Test, these flaws do not negate the existence of implicit prejudice.
Or, in the actual world, the existence and consequences of bias, prejudice, and discrimination.
Prejudices of this nature can have very real and even disastrous repercussions. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
According to one study, when Black and White job applicants submitted similar resumes to employers, Black applicants were half as likely to be called in for interviews as White applicants with equal qualifications. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
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Discrimination against racial groupings is likely the outcome of both explicit and implicit biases.
Even when businesses make every effort to eradicate potential bias in recruiting, small implicit biases may still influence how people are hired or promoted to higher positions.
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Although completely avoiding such prejudices is challenging, being aware of them and attempting to eliminate them can assist.
Health-Care Facilities
Certainly, age, race, or health status should not influence how patients are treated; nonetheless, unconscious prejudice can impair healthcare quality and have long-term consequences such as suboptimal care, negative outcomes, and even death.
For example, according to one study published in the American Journal of Public Health, physicians with high implicit bias scores tended to dominate conversations with Black patients, resulting in the Black patients having less confidence and trust in the provider and rating the quality of their care lower. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
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Implicit prejudice is still being researched in regard to various ethnic groups as well as specific health concerns such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, mental health, and substance use disorders.
Legal Situations
Implicit biases can also have negative consequences in legal proceedings, influencing everything from the initial police encounter through sentencing.
According to research, there is a significant racial gap in the treatment of Black defendants in criminal sentencing.
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Not only are Black defendants less likely than White defendants accused with similar offenses to be given plea bargains, but they are also more likely to face longer and harsher sentences.
How Can Implicit Bias Be Reduced? PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Although implicit biases have an impact on behavior, there are steps you may do to lessen your own bias:
Concentrate on recognizing others as unique personalities.
Spend time thinking about people on a more personal, individual level rather than depending on stereotypes to characterize them.
Attempt to change your stereotypes consciously.
Make an attempt to intentionally change your response if you notice that your reaction to someone is based on biases or stereotypes.
Take a moment to contemplate and pause.
Take time to reflect on any prejudices and replace them with positive examples of the stereotyped group to reduce reflexive reactions.
Adjust your viewpoint. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Consider things from the perspective of someone else.
What would you do if you were in this situation?
What elements might influence a person’s behavior in a given place or situation?
Boost your exposure.
Spend more time interacting with folks from various racial origins.
Attend community activities or exhibits to learn more about their culture. PSY 362 Topic 4 DQ 1: why people so often mimic one another
Make an effort to be mindful.
To increase awareness and become more conscious of your thoughts and behaviors, try meditation, yoga, or concentrated breathing.