Social Judgment

Write a 4–5-page assessment in which you apply theories and concepts about prejudice, stereotypes, and groups to different points related to these topics.

Prejudice and stereotyping seem to be part of the human condition, and it is essential to examine how attitudes develop in order to change our behavior as individuals and as a society.

Suggested Resources

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

FMG Videos

Click the following links to view videos purchased through Films Media Group for use in this Capella course. Any distribution of video content or associated links is prohibited.

• Racial Stereotypes in the Media | Transcript.
• Prejudice: More than Black and White | Transcript.

Library Resources

The following e-books or articles from the Capella University Library are linked directly in this course. Note: Some of the articles are quite old and are included here because they are considered seminal works in the field.

• Aramovich, N. P. (2014). The effect of stereotype threat on group versus individual performance. Small Group Research, 45(2), 176–197.
• Brambilla, M., & Butz, D. A. (2013). Intergroup threat and outgroup attitudes: Macro-level symbolic threat increases prejudice against gay men. Social Psychology, 44(5), 311–319.
• Carr, P. B., Dweck, C. S., & Pauker, K. (2012). "Prejudiced" behavior without prejudice? Beliefs about the malleability of prejudice affect interracial interactions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 103(3), 452–471.
• Dasgupta, N., DeSteno, D., Williams, L. A., & Hunsinger, M. (2009). Fanning the flames of prejudice: The influence of specific incidental emotions on implicit prejudice. Emotion, 9(4), 585–591.
• Fehr, J., Sassenberg, K., & Jonas, K. J. (2012). Willful stereotype control: The impact of internal motivation to respond without prejudice on the regulation of activated stereotypes. Zeitschrift Für Psychologie, 220(3), 180–186.
• Gallate, J., Wong, C., Ellwood, S., Chi, R., & Snyder, A. (2011). Noninvasive brain stimulation reduces prejudice scores on an implicit association test. Neuropsychology, 25(2), 185–192.
• Johnson, M. K., Rowatt, W. C., & LaBouff, J. P. (2012). Religiosity and prejudice revisited: In-group favoritism, out-group derogation, or both? Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 4(2), 154–168.
• Lehman, B. (2012). The impacts of friendship groups' racial composition when perceptions of prejudice threaten students' academic self-concept. Social Psychology of Education, 15(3), 411–425.
• Paluck, E. L. (2009). Reducing intergroup prejudice and conflict using the media: A field experiment in Rwanda. Journal of Personality And Social Psychology, 96(3), 574–587.
• Pearl, R. L., Puhl, R. M., & Brownell, K. D. (2012). Positive media portrayals of obese persons: Impact on attitudes and image preferences. Health Psychology, 31(6), 821–829.
• Scarabis, M., & Florack, A. (2008). How the motivation to make fair judgments influences memory for in- and out-group behavior. Swiss Journal of Psychology/Schweizerische Zeitschrift Für Psychologie/Revue Suisse De Psychologie, 67(4), 241–248.
• Schlehofer, M. M., Casad, B. J., Bligh, M. C., & Grotto, A. R. (2011). Navigating public prejudices: The impact of media and attitudes on high-profile female political leaders. Sex Roles, 65(1–2), 69–82.
• Shier, M. L., Jones, M. E., & Graham, J. R. (2010). Perspectives of employed people experiencing homelessness of self and being homeless: Challenging socially constructed perceptions and stereotypes. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 37(4), 13–37.
• Reyna, C., Dobria, O., & Wetherell, G. (2013). The complexity and ambivalence of immigration attitudes: Ambivalent stereotypes predict conflicting attitudes toward immigration policies. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 19(3), 342–356.
• Ryan, C. S., & Bogart, L. M. (1997). Development of new group members' in-group and out-group stereotypes: Changes in perceived group variability and ethnocentrism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(4), 719–732.
• Wong, Y. J., Horn, A. J., & Chen, S. (2013). Perceived masculinity: The potential influence of race, racial essentialist beliefs, and stereotypes. Psychology of Men & Masculinity, 14(4), 452–464.
• Zafar, S., & Ross, E. C. (2014). Interreligious contact, attitudes, and stereotypes: A study of five religious groups in Canada. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement. Advance online publication.
• Von Sikorski, C., & Schierl, T. (2014). Attitudes in context: Media effects of salient contextual information on recipients' attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Journal of Media Psychology, 26(2), 70–80.

Assessment Instructions

Search for research articles on theories and concepts related to prejudice, stereotypes, and groups. For your assessment, apply at least one theory or concept to each of the following:

• Examine how attitudes and behaviors of a group can contribute to prejudice and stereotyping.
• Analyze how the portrayal of ethnic, cultural, or social groups by the media can influence social perception of those groups and perpetuate stereotypes. Provide specific examples of how a group has been portrayed in the media.
• Explain how membership in a group can influence social judgment.
• Analyze how subtle stereotyping in everyday language and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change. Provide specific examples.
• Describe the types of ethical considerations researchers should consider before conducting research on the hotly debated topics of prejudice and stereotyping.
• What are the implications and likely consequences for society if prejudice and stereotyping are not reduced?

Your submitted assessment should be 4–5 pages in length, excluding title page and reference page. Support your statements and analyses with references to at least three scholarly research articles. Be sure to follow APA guidelines for format and style.

Additional Requirements

• Include a title page and reference page.
• At least three current scholarly or professional resources.
• APA format.
• Times New Roman font, 12 point.
• Double spaced.

Social Judgment Scoring Guide

CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED Examine how attitudes and behaviors of a group influence prejudice and stereotyping.Does not describe how attitudes and behaviors of a group influence prejudice and stereotyping. Describes how attitudes and behaviors of a group influence prejudice and stereotyping. Examines how attitudes and behaviors of a group influence prejudice and stereotyping. Examines how attitudes and behaviors of a group influence prejudice and stereotyping and provides specific, relevant examples. Analyze how portrayal of ethnic, cultural, and social groups by the media influences social perception of the group and perpetuates stereotyping.Does not explain how portrayal of ethnic, cultural, and social groups by the media influences social perception of the group and perpetuates stereotyping. Explains but does not analyze how portrayal of ethnic, cultural, and social groups by the media influences social perception of the group and perpetuates stereotyping. Analyzes how portrayal of ethnic, cultural, and social groups by the media influences social perception of the group and perpetuates stereotyping. Analyzes how portrayal of ethnic, cultural, and social groups by the media influences social perception of the group and perpetuates stereotyping; provides relevant, real-world examples. Explain how membership in a group influences social judgment.Does not explain how membership in a group influences social judgment. Explains how membership in a group influences social judgment but does not tie explanation to theory or concept. Explains how membership in a group influences social judgment. Analyzes how membership in a group influences social judgment. Analyze how subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change.Does not describe how subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change. Describes but does not analyze how subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change. Analyzes how subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change. Analyzes how subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance can affect the ability to bring about social change; suggests strategies to recognize and reduce subtle stereotyping and cognitive dissonance. Describe ethical challenges researchers face when conducting research on controversial topics.Does not describe ethical challenges researchers face when conducting research on controversial topics. Describes ethical challenges researchers face when conducting research on controversial topics but does not clarify how the challenges are ethical in nature. Describes ethical challenges researchers face when conducting research on controversial topics. Describes ethical challenges researchers face when conducting research on controversial topics and considers the implications for the field of psychology of not addressing the ethical challenges. Examine the implications and consequences for society of not addressing prejudice and stereotyping.Does not describe the implications and consequences for society of not addressing prejudice and stereotyping. Describes the implications and consequences for society of not addressing prejudice and stereotyping. Examines the implications and consequences for society of not addressing prejudice and stereotyping. Examines the implications and consequences for society of not addressing prejudice and stereotyping; recommends strategies for change. Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional.Writing does not support a central idea. Does not use correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional. Writing supports an idea but is inconsistent and contains major errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writing coherently supports a central idea with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Writing is coherent, using evidence to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics as expected of a psychology professional. Use APA format and style.Does not use APA format and style. Uses APA format and style but inconsistently and with errors. Uses APA format and style consistently and with few errors. Uses correct APA format and style consistently and with no errors.