Essay: Analyzing Prejudice Reduction Programs and Strategies

This essay analyzes prejudice and discrimination, focusing on the halo effect and fundamental attribution error as contributors to prejudice development. It outlines four criteria for reducing prejudice: cooperation and contact, categorization and identity, affect and feelings, and cognitive approaches. The essay then delves into two chosen criteria, supported by a peer-reviewed empirical article, and proposes a prejudice reduction program based on these criteria. The program's effectiveness is discussed, drawing on research, and the implementation process is detailed, offering insights into practical strategies for combating prejudice and promoting positive intergroup relations. The assignment covers topics such as unconscious bias, social categorization, and the impact of discrimination on various aspects of life, including financial opportunities, medical care, income, employment, and educational opportunities.

Running head: ESSAY
ESSAY
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1ESSAY
Prejudice
Halo effect is cognitive bias where a person’s overall impression influences about how
people think and feel about their characters. Perceptions of single trait could carry over on how a
person’s other aspects could be perceived by the people. Halo effect is referred as physical
attractiveness stereotype. An essential role is played by halo effect within education settings. The
teachers might interact differently with the students based on attractiveness’s perceptions.
Several ways are there by which halo effect could influence others’ perceptions within work
settings (Lauren, 2018). Supervisors might rate the subordinates depending on perception of
single characteristic instead of overall contribution and performance.
Many different categories for techniques of social psychology are used for reducing
prejudice attitudes within individuals and groups. Four criteria that are used for reducing
prejudice are Cooperation and Contact, Categorization and Identity, Affect and Feelings and
Cognitive Approaches. Approaches of cooperation and contact are interaction among conflicting
groups’ members which reduces intensity and prevalence of prejudiced actions and beliefs.
Intensity of contact is increased by psychologists by adding the elements which need
interdependence among different groups’ members (Austin, 2019). Technique based on group
could be used for increasing contact among conflict groups’ members in positive environment.
Several parts of process or lesson are taught by cooperative learning, and then needs them in
teaching one another. Cognitive approaches consist of changing the thought process of people. It
could involve social discomfort, internal conflict’s creation and thought suppression.
Reconditioning educates the people on incorrect information about their bias. Classical
conditional is used by reconditioning for rewarding more understanding reactions and behaviors.

2ESSAY
Lesser prejudice behaviors and thoughts are expressed by a person, after scolded due to
prejudice. Positive feelings are not showed by them for person who scolded them.
A course over prejudice would review the unconscious bias. Ways by which people could
be prejudiced as for processes which take place outside of people’s awareness. Course over
prejudice could convince that there is existence of unconscious bias. If an individual understands
unconscious bias’s phenomenon, the individual would become more aware about own biases,
which enables to address those unconscious bias (Mackie & Smith, 2016). If someone is stigma’s
target, that individual could learn about the way in which stereotype would affect the people,
gives powerful tool for understanding the feelings as well as gives sense of bigger societal
processes which impact them. It is observed that students enrolled in conflict and prejudice
seminar has shown huge reductions in levels of their prejudice when compared with similar
group who took course on research methods. It is seen that the biases are workable (Whitley Jr &
Kite, 2016). Leaning about these could give self-motivation and insight that is needed by people
for undertaking journey of their change. Social categorization is human nature’s basic part and
helps in simplifying the social world for drawing rapid conclusions on others. It is preferred in
socializing with the people who share ethnicity or race for instance. Discrimination influences
victims’ daily life in areas like financial opportunities, medical care, income, employment and
educational opportunities.

3ESSAY
References
Austin, J. (2019). Pride and prejudice (Vol. 5). Lukeman Literary Management LTD..
Lauren, P. G. (2018). Power and prejudice: The politics and diplomacy of racial discrimination.
Routledge.
Mackie, D. M., & Smith, E. R. (2016). From prejudice to intergroup emotions: Differentiated
reactions to social groups. Psychology Press.
Whitley Jr, B. E., & Kite, M. E. (2016). Psychology of prejudice and discrimination. Routledge.