Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination: How We Can Use Psychology to Reduce Discrimination

Abstract

This paper aims to illustrate the origins of prejudice, its relationship to stereotypes, and how it can lead to discrimination. I will also outline potential solutions to reducing prejudice and discrimination. Stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination are terms that we often use interchangeably, yet they are three conceptually distinct concepts that often overlap. A stereotype can be defined as an over-generalisation of a specific category or group of people based on observations of characteristics from a smaller sample. Stereotypes can be defined as cognitive biases, where we make generalisations about a group of people based on the characteristics of a smaller sample, hence any variation among individuals is ignored. Prejudice, on the other hand, refers to an affective bias where one holds a positive or negative attitude towards someone because of their membership in a particular group. Discrimination can often be a consequence of prejudice and is characterised as the aversive behaviours one expresses towards an individual or group because of their group membership. Implicit biases are arguably dangerous as they can affect our behaviour towards social groups and reproduce unequal treatment of individuals in society. Prejudice and discrimination are pervasive in society and understanding their causes can help us find ways to eradicate them.