Unit 7 - Psychology Of Human Relationships
Understanding Allport's Contact Hypothesis For Reducing Prejudice
Table of content
Key takeaways 🎯
- Allport's Contact Hypothesis posits that the best way to reduce conflict between groups is by increasing their contact with each other. Think about it like getting to know your neighbor better instead of constantly arguing over the garden fence.
- But hang on, it's not always that simple! The conditions for this contact must be just right, otherwise, it can lead to increased hostility. It's kind of like baking a cake, you need the right ingredients, in the right quantities, mixed in the right order. Otherwise, you could end up with a sad, deflated dessert.
- Let's look at these "ingredients" Allport talked about and how psychologists developed them over the years.
Real-world conditions for reducing prejudice 🌍
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Social and Institutional Support: Imagine a football team where the coach, captain, and manager aren't aligned on the team's strategy. The team is likely to fall into chaos, right? The same goes for reducing prejudice. Those in power must have a clear plan and common goal to reduce prejudice and support policies for it.
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High Acquaintance Potential: This means groups should meet often and long enough for positive relationships to form. It's kind of like how you become friends with your classmates over time by seeing them every day.
-
Equal Status between Groups: In our ideal contact situation, everyone's equal! Imagine if two soccer teams were made to play together, but one team only got to play defense while the other always attacked. The defensive team might feel inferior and stereotypes could get reinforced. To avoid this, tasks should be designed so that everyone has an equal role.
-
Cooperation: Remember when you had to do a group project and the success of the project depended on everyone doing their part? That's what we need here too. But beware, if the groups fail at the task, it might lead to more negative stereotypes and increase conflict.
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Unit 7 - Psychology Of Human Relationships
Understanding Allport's Contact Hypothesis For Reducing Prejudice
Table of content
Key takeaways 🎯
- Allport's Contact Hypothesis posits that the best way to reduce conflict between groups is by increasing their contact with each other. Think about it like getting to know your neighbor better instead of constantly arguing over the garden fence.
- But hang on, it's not always that simple! The conditions for this contact must be just right, otherwise, it can lead to increased hostility. It's kind of like baking a cake, you need the right ingredients, in the right quantities, mixed in the right order. Otherwise, you could end up with a sad, deflated dessert.
- Let's look at these "ingredients" Allport talked about and how psychologists developed them over the years.
Real-world conditions for reducing prejudice 🌍
-
Social and Institutional Support: Imagine a football team where the coach, captain, and manager aren't aligned on the team's strategy. The team is likely to fall into chaos, right? The same goes for reducing prejudice. Those in power must have a clear plan and common goal to reduce prejudice and support policies for it.
-
High Acquaintance Potential: This means groups should meet often and long enough for positive relationships to form. It's kind of like how you become friends with your classmates over time by seeing them every day.
-
Equal Status between Groups: In our ideal contact situation, everyone's equal! Imagine if two soccer teams were made to play together, but one team only got to play defense while the other always attacked. The defensive team might feel inferior and stereotypes could get reinforced. To avoid this, tasks should be designed so that everyone has an equal role.
-
Cooperation: Remember when you had to do a group project and the success of the project depended on everyone doing their part? That's what we need here too. But beware, if the groups fail at the task, it might lead to more negative stereotypes and increase conflict.
Unlock the Full Content!
Dive deeper and gain exclusive access to premium files of Psychology HL. Subscribe now and get closer to that 45 🌟