Social Cognitive Approach To Prejudice Essay
What contribution has the social cognitive approach made to our understanding of prejudice?
Chandni Patel
Kingston University
Prejudice is where an individual forms an opinion on someone else before becoming aware of the relevant factors involved. The word is often used to refer to usually unfair judgments towards people or a person because of gender, social class, age, disability or race/ethnicity. In this case, it refers to a positive or negative assessment of another person based on their social group. Gordon Allport (1954) defined prejudice as a "feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience". Social cognition aims to understand social psychological phenomena (such as stereotyping …show more content…
Allport (1897-1967), wrote an influential book called The Nature of Prejudice (1979). In his book Allport linked prejudice and categorical thinking to one another, claiming that prejudice is part of a normal process for humans. According to him, "The human mind must think with the aid of categories… Once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. " He assorts prejudice into three broad levels: cognitive level, emotional Level and action-orientation …show more content…
It has also not made a contribution to our understanding in terms of its believed we are majorly influenced by those around us and are vulnerable to conforming into the social view. It’s thought that each individual is liable for creating their own thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Although an individual may perceive to follow the majority it may not be that the individual ideally would like to, however due to society they may feel pressured into following their social group, leading to them avoiding and ignoring personal values and beliefs of
Chandni Patel
Kingston University
Prejudice is where an individual forms an opinion on someone else before becoming aware of the relevant factors involved. The word is often used to refer to usually unfair judgments towards people or a person because of gender, social class, age, disability or race/ethnicity. In this case, it refers to a positive or negative assessment of another person based on their social group. Gordon Allport (1954) defined prejudice as a "feeling, favorable or unfavorable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience". Social cognition aims to understand social psychological phenomena (such as stereotyping …show more content…
Allport (1897-1967), wrote an influential book called The Nature of Prejudice (1979). In his book Allport linked prejudice and categorical thinking to one another, claiming that prejudice is part of a normal process for humans. According to him, "The human mind must think with the aid of categories… Once formed, categories are the basis for normal prejudgment. We cannot possibly avoid this process. Orderly living depends upon it. " He assorts prejudice into three broad levels: cognitive level, emotional Level and action-orientation …show more content…
It has also not made a contribution to our understanding in terms of its believed we are majorly influenced by those around us and are vulnerable to conforming into the social view. It’s thought that each individual is liable for creating their own thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Although an individual may perceive to follow the majority it may not be that the individual ideally would like to, however due to society they may feel pressured into following their social group, leading to them avoiding and ignoring personal values and beliefs of