Deck 12: Prejudice and Discrimination

Question 1

Negative stereotypes of racial/ethnic minorities, especially African Americans; cultural narratives extolling "White virtues," such as hard work, achievement, superiority, and the ability to overcome adversity and resistance from others; visual and auditory imagery (notions of racial/ethnic differences in appearance and accents); and emotions (e.g., the association of negative feelings, including fear, with racial/ethnic minorities) are all a part of:

A)children's interpretive frameworks
B)color-blind racism
C)liberal racism
D)the dominant racial prototype
E)the White racial frame

Answer 1

E

Question 2

In Schnoor's (2006) qualitative analysis of gay Jews living in an urban area, Gay-Jewish Commuters:

A)experienced significant role conflict
B)had high levels of psychological distress
C)had two residences, one in a gay neighborhood and one downtown
D)kept their religious lives separate from the other facets of their lives
E)were unable to distance themselves from religious relatives and friends, even though they sometimes wished to do so

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Micro-level interventions focus on the reduction of negative racial attitudes (prejudice at the individual level) or on:

A)identifying the source of negative racial attitudes and their link to broader social and historical factors
B)the disruption of the micro-level social processes through which macro-level racial inequalities are reproduced in specific group settings
C)the effects of prejudice on behavior across social contexts
D)the sources of prejudice at the individual level
E)why some Whites have more negative racial attitudes than what is normative

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Increasing contact between members of different racial/ethnic groups reduces negative racial attitudes. Research suggests that contact explains about _________ of the variation in racial attitudes.

A)7%
B)14%
C)21%
D)28%
E)35%

Question 5

Most of the studies that focus on the effects of contact on racial attitudes (i.e., prejudice at the individual level) are:

A)experimental
B)longitudinal
C)participant observational
D)qualitative in orientation
E)survey based

Question 6

Contact is the most effective in reducing prejudice at the individual level when it is combined with:

A)pleasant background stimuli or factors that increase physiological arousal
B)belief training
C)increased economic rewards
D)intergroup cooperation among individuals of equal status
E)participation in team sports

Question 7

Common-identity interventions involve:

A)activities that facilitate interdependent cooperation between groups of equal status
B)changing people's attitudes toward dissimilar others by disrupting the self-fulfilling prophecy associated with labeling
C)encouraging people in multiethnic settings to befriend individuals with similar characteristics and preferences
D)keeping groups separate until strong social identities and feelings of group solidarity emerge
E)reminding people in communal settings that everyone has the same essential characteristics

Question 8

Sherif's famous camp studies, discussed in Chapter 12, were one of the first:

A)common identity interventions
B)expectation training interventions
C)multiability task interventions
D)priming interventions
E)status-ability interventions

Question 9

What served as the basis for in-group/out-group divisions in Sherif's camp studies?

A)cabin of residence
B)gender
C)race/ethnicity
D)social class
E)all of the above

Question 10

The jigsaw technique is a:

A)common identity interventions
B)expectation training interventions
C)multiability task interventions
D)priming interventions
E)status-ability interventions

Question 11

In elementary school classrooms, the Jigsaw Technique has been especially useful in reducing prejudice and discrimination directed toward:

A)African Americans
B)Japanese Americans
C)boys with multiethnic identities
D)girls from poor families
E)Mexican Americans

Question 12

In survey-based studies of race relations, what mediates the effect of equal status, contact, cooperative interdependence, and egalitarian norms on positive racial attitudes among high school students?

A)a common in-group identity
B)cross-race friendships
C)shared values and aspirations
D)social class
E)all of the above

Question 13

Who argues that inclusive superordinate identities can be primed?

A)Chicago school symbolic interactionists
B)identity theorists working within social structure and personality
C)social identity theorists working within the group processes and structures orientation
D)social exchange theorists studying commitment and trust in social relationships
E)status characteristics theorists, who do experimental sociology

Question 14

Who studies the processes of interaction through which racial and ethnic identities are constructed?

A)social structure and personality researchers
B)social exchange theorists
C)social identity theorists
D)status characteristics theorists
E)symbolic interactionists

Question 15

Within social structure and personality, a token is:

A)a debt that has yet to be collected
B)a group within society that lacks power
C)a person who is a numerical minority
D)an individual whose status within a company can be negotiated
E)someone who is hired because of his or her race or ethnicity

Question 16

The White racial frame:

A)developed as a response to postmodernism
B)emerged in the post-civil rights era
C)has yet to become the dominant racial ideology in this country
D)is not prominent among children and young adults
E)is rooted in colonial America

Question 17

The White racial frame has initiated _____________________________.

A)a self-fulfilling prophecy at the societal level
B)a disturbing pattern of global inequality
C)an overdependence on welfare among able-bodied White adults
D)the rejection of "American" values among Blacks and other racial/ethnic minorities
E)all of the above

Question 18

The White racial frame results in a self-fulfilling prophecy at the societal level because the position of racial/ethnic minorities in the stratification hierarchy, which is caused by the White racial frame, is used to:

A)create new reasons for denying racial/ethnic minorities economic opportunities
B)deny the next generation of minority youths economic opportunities
C)develop verbal rationales that support existing patterns of racism
D)further undermine the aspirations of minority youths
E)justify the beliefs and attitudes encompassed by the White racial frame

Question 19

What counterframe is common among African Americans?

A)the antioppression counterframe
B)the alternative solutions counterframe
C)the bargaining counterframe
D)the accept-and-reject counterframe
E)the planned future counterframe

Question 20

Among African Americans, members of the Millennial Generation are more likely than older age cohorts to attribute racial inequality to:

A)a lack of motivation
B)discrimination
C)intellectual ability
D)poor quality schools
E)racist beliefs

Question 21

Social attitudes and beliefs are usually more liberal among younger generations. The relationship between generation and beliefs about racial inequality among African Americans is the exception to this pattern. Which of the following explanations has NOT been cited as a potential reason for generational differences in beliefs about the causes of racial inequality among African Americans?

A)decreases in racial discrimination within this society
B)decreases in young Blacks' sensitivity to discrimination
C)increases in drug use among African Americans
D)increases in the amount of time that has elapsed since the civil rights movement, which mobilized Blacks and increased their solidarity
E)increases in the degree of variation in socioeconomic resources among the Black population

Question 22

Which of the following statements about people's beliefs about the causes of racial inequality is true?

A)Among African Americans, members of the Millennial generation are less likely than member of previous generations to attribute the disadvantaged status of minorities to a lack of motivation
B)Among the Millennial generation, African Americans and Whites are equally likely to attribute racial inequality to structural factors (i.e., discrimination)
C)Among the Millennial generation, African Americans are more likely than Whites to recognize the structural basis of racial inequality
D)Whites and African Americans are equally likely to attribute racial inequality to individual factors (i.e., motivation)
E)Most U.S. adults believe that discrimination is the main cause of racial inequality in this society

Question 23

According to Hughes and associates (2006) comprehensive review of the literature on racial socialization, discussed in Chapter 12, the messages minority parents convey to their children about race/ethnicity fall into all of the following four categories except:

A)cultural socialization
B)finding alternatives to higher education
C)mistrust of other racial groups
D)preparation for bias
E)racial equality and the importance of hard work

Question 24

Which theoretical perspective has guided much of the research on racial and ethnic identities?

A)expectation states theory
B)identity theory
C)social identity theory
D)social structure and personality
E)status characteristics theory

Question 25

Researchers have studied the formation of identities among multi-racial or multiethnic individuals. Which of the following identity formation strategies has NOT been discussed within this literature?

A)dual identification, where self-definitions favoring one racial/ethnic identity over another vary with the social setting or the person with whom one is conversing
B)identity borrowing (e.g., taking on the identity of an admired celebrity, politician, or religious leader who has a similar racial/ethnic heritage)
C)the adoption of a monoracial identity (e.g., a person who has one White and one Black parent who self-identifies as African American)
D)the construction of a new, hybrid identity specific to one's unique heritage
E)the rejection of race/ethnicity in favor of other sources of identity (e.g., work roles or group affiliations)

Question 26

Among college students, which group has the highest average score on the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM)?

A)African Americans
B)Latinos
C)Italians
D)Irish Americans
E)Whites

Question 27

A status that overshadows all of the other statuses that an individual occupies in its effects on social interaction and the self-concept is called a(n) _______________________.

A)master status
B)personality determinant
C)primary status
D)salient identity
E)umbrella status

Question 28

Who focuses on expectations training and multiability interventions?

A)Chicago school symbolic interactionists
B)identity theorists working within social structure and personality
C)social identity theorists working within the group processes and structures orientation
D)social exchange theorists studying commitment and trust in social relationships
E)status characteristics theorists, who do experimental sociology

Question 29

In multiability interventions:

A)all task group members receive training in a specific skill
B)group members are openly taught the relevant task skills
C)members of disadvantaged groups are given training so that they have a positive specific status characteristic
D)no one is likely to have all of the characteristics required for superior performance
E)subjects are reminded that everyone has unique abilities

Question 30

What is the White racial frame, and how does it relate to contemporary forms of racism within this society? Describe how the white racial frame perpetuates a self-fulfilling prophecy at the societal level.

Question 31

What is liberal racism? Illustrate this concept with examples from the study of college students' race journals.

Question 32

What is color-blind racism? Why does Bonilla-Silva call color-blind racism "racism without racists"?

Question 33

What is laissez-faire racism? Discuss how data from the General Social Survey (GSS) has been used to provide support for the existince of this form of liberal racism.

Question 34

If someone from outside of the United States asked you to explain current race relations within this country, what would you say?

Question 35

Describe patterns of racial socialization in minority families. How do these interactions relate to the formation of racial identities? What is the consequence of having a strong racial identity beneficial for minority youths?

Question 36

What is a token? Discuss the results of research in social structure and personality on tokenism. How might this literature be used to inform organizational policies?

Question 37

Contrast symbolic interactionist research on the construction of racial and ethnic identities with research on identity formation and its consequences within the group processes and structures tradition.

Question 38

Compare and contrast common identity interventions with multiability and expectations training interventions. Why, despite their differences, are all three strategies for improving race relations classified as micro-level interventions?

Question 39

Describe and contrast micro- and macro-level interventions designed to improve race relations within this society.

Question 40

Discuss the limitations of micro-level interventions. Describe at least two macro-level interventions and their likely effectiveness. Why, despite their potential effectiveness, do the majority of whites in this country oppose these latter policies?

Question 41

Which of the various literatures discussed in this chapter do you find to be the most insightful or useful? Describe the results of these studies and why they stand out to you.

Question 42

What is the difference between implicit and explicit racial attitudes? Describe the U.S. population's current attitudes toward racial and ethnic minorities. When are Whites most likely to demonstrate prejudice at the micro level?

Question 43

Describe the current racial climate in the United States. Are Whites' beliefs about the causes of racial inequality in this country consistent with this reality? Explain.

Question 44

In expectation training interventions:

A)all task group members receive training in a specific skill
B)group members are openly taught the relevant task skills
C)members of disadvantaged groups are given training so that they have a positive specific status characteristic
D)no one is likely to have all of the characteristics required for superior performance
E)subjects are reminded that everyone has unique abilities

Question 45

In a famous study by Cohen and Roper, Black male middle school students were taught how to build a transistor radio. Then, in mixed-raced groups, these students showed their White male peers how to complete this task, which reduced racial bias in subsequent interactions. What type of intervention was used in this study?

A)common in-group identity
B)environmental priming
C)expectations training
D)transsituational
E)multiability

Question 46

What is the main limitation of micro-level interventions?

A)They are very costly.
B)They can only be applied in work settings.
C)They change behaviors but not attitudes.
D)They would have to be applied in many settings to affect social change.
E)Whether they work or not depends on factors such as the age of the individuals involved.

Question 47

What theory explains why making discrimination illegal would reduce prejudice at the individual level?

A)self-perception theory
B)social exchange theory
C)social identity theory
D)social learning theory
E)status characteristics theory

Question 48

Macro-level interventions include:

A)affirmative action
B)interdependent cooperation
C)multiability training
D)reparations
E)both a and d

Question 49

What percent of white adults are opposed to reparations?

A)27%
B)54%
C)78%
D)87%
E)96%

Question 50

The high percentage of Whites in the United States who are opposed to reparations reflects the pervasiveness of:

A)color-blind racism
B)laissez-faire racism
C)negative racial stereotypes
D)traditional racism
E)both a and b

Question 51

How do sociological social psychologists define prejudice? Contrast sociological and psychological definitions of prejudice.

Question 52

Define the terms institutional discrimination and racism, emphasizing the macro nature of both constructs.

Question 53

Suppose that an African American manager refuses to hire a particular job applicant simply because he or she is White. Is this action racist? Support your position.

Question 54

Discuss the relationship between negative racial attitudes (prejudice at the individual level) and discrimination and how it reflects the relationship between attitudes and behavior more generally.

Question 55

Why don't attitudes predict behavior?

Question 56

Compare and contrast research on race and ethnicity within each of the three faces of sociological social psychology. How can research from across these three traditions be combined to enhance our understanding of race relations within this society and what can be done to create a more egalitarian society?

Question 57

Cognitive representations that enable people to make sense of situations and events by directing their attention to certain aspects of reality and away from others are called:

A)frames
B)filters
C)ideologies
D)lenses
E)mental structures

Question 58

Sociological social psychologists consider women a minority group.

Question 59

According social identity theorists, cooperation isn't necessary to create a common in-group identity (i.e., a superordinate identity)

Question 60

Affirmative action is considered a macro-level intervention.

Question 61

Within sociological social psychology, a minority group:

A)is a group formed for the purpose of fighting oppression
B)is a group whose members lack access to money, power, and prestige
C)is composed of individuals who are numerical minorities within society
D)includes individuals with physical characteristics that make them standout within a society
E)must have a high proportion of members who are not motivated by economic rewards

Question 62

The perceptual process through which the same behavior is seen as positive when it is exhibited by members of one group, and negative when it's exhibited by members of another group, typically one that is the target of prejudice and discrimination within the broader society, is called:

A)discrimination
B)moral alchemy
C)racial profiling
D)schematic bias
E)prejudice

Question 63

____________________are the hierarchical component of cultural stereotypes.

A)Character cues
B)Implicit attitudes
C)Performance expectations
D)Status beliefs
E)Tiered frames

Question 64

Sociological social psychologists define prejudice as:

A)the affective component of cultural stereotypes
B)the emotion people associate with physical characteristics different from their own
C)the feeling that arises as the result of the shared perception of superiority among members of the dominant group within society
D)the negative characteristics associated with particular groups within society
E)the pattern of dominance and oppression that emerges when two groups with competing interests compete over scarce resources

Question 65

Negative racial attitudes are:

A)a type of prejudice that occurs at the individual level
B)feelings that people are aware of
C)macro-level status beliefs
D)perceptions that transcend groups and social settings
E)all of the above

Question 66

Whereas prejudice, at either the macro or micro level, is a feeling, discrimination:

A)involves schematic processing
B)is an attitude
C)is a behavior
D)is rooted in conscious thought
E)reflects a complex of attitudes, emotions, and action scripts

Question 67

Discrimination that occurs at the macro level as the result of the way social institutions (e.g., education, the criminal justice system, and the political system) within society operate is called:

A)cultural unfairness
B)functional differentiation
C)institutional discrimination
D)role-oriented bias
E)systemic prejudice

Question 68

The penalties associated with cocaine use or distribution vary with the form of drug possessed (crack vs. powder) and result in higher rates of incarceration among racial and ethnic minorities than among Whites. This is an example of:

A)functional differentiation
B)institutional discrimination
C)prejudice
D)status generalization
E)stereotype threat

Question 69

The gap in the minimum mandatory sentence for crack versus powder cocaine was reduced by the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 to a ratio of:

A)47 to 1
B)100 to 1
C)just over 1 to 1
D)7 to 1
E)18 to 1

Question 70

Discriminatory behaviors directed toward Whites by African Americans aren't considered racist. These behaviors aren't indicative of racism because:

A)the discrimination is in opposition to existing institutional patterns
B)the structural context in which behavior occurs shapes its consequences
C)they occur so rarely
D)they aren't motivated by stereotypes or prejudice
E)both a and b

Question 71

The jigsaw technique is a multiability intervention developed within the status characteristics tradition.

Question 72

Research suggests that being a token has the same effect on work outcomes for everyone, regardless of their race/ethnicity or gender.

Question 73

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986 was unpopular because it increased the rate with which Whites were incarcerated for cocaine possession.

Question 74

In bystander experiments, White witnesses are more likely to help an African American victim after, rather than before, that individual requests assistance.

Question 75

People with negative attitudes toward racial and ethnic minorities typically discriminate against the latter individuals.

Question 76

Prejudice at the individual level often does not result in discrimination because situational norms play a greater role than internal states in shaping behavior.

Question 77

Racial prejudice and discrimination against African Americans have all but disappeared within the United States over the course of the past 50 years. Thus, most contemporary social psychological research on prejudice and discrimination focuses on Latinos.

Question 78

In Pager and Western's (2012) field experiments on racial bias in hiring, the African American and Latino individuals who applied for jobs were aware of the fact that they were being discriminated against.

Question 79

Research suggests that claims of racial profiling occurring during traffic stops are exaggerated.

Question 80

Negative attitudes toward African Americans (implicit/unconscious and explicit/conscious, in the form of symbolic racism) decreased substantially between 2008 and 2012.