PSYC331 - Lecture 6 Detailed Notes

PSYC331 - Lecture 6 Perceptions of Group Hierarchies Answer- Participants from lower-status groups see other groups as having higher status then them (people pick up on them) Social Dominance Orientation (SDO) Answer- -Social Identity Theory cannot be the only contributor to discrimination. -Group-based social hierarchies are universal (and even unavoidable). -Most intergroup conflict stems from the existence of these hierarchies. -Both people and institutions exist along a continuum among those that are "hierarchy-enforcing" or "hierarchy-attenuating". -Hierarchies are a two-way street, requiring at least some coordination among both high-status and low-status people. The SDO Scale Answer- The SDO Scale is an individual difference measure meant to capture variation in the extent to which someone believes society should have group-based hierarchies. -To think they are natural, you are not bothered by them and they should continue to exist -Example: It is not a problem if some groups have more of a chance in life than others. SDO and Other Outcomes Answer- How strongly is SDO associated with.... (none of these are strong enough to be redundant) -Political ideology (i.e., conservatism)? r = .43. -Explicit racial preferences (i.e., degree to which White people are preferred over Black people)? r = .27 -Gender Men are higher in SDO than women, r = .19. Example: In a sample of 85 White police officers, greater SDO was associated with more actual uses of forces while on patrol. SDO as a Cause of Hierarchy Support (study) Answer- If SDO is a cause of hierarchies, then changes in SDO should come before changes in negativity expressed towards racial outgroups. -Data were collected from White participants during freshman orientation (in 1996) and then collected each Spring semester (through 2000). -SDO measured in 1996 was a stronger predictor of outgroup prejudice in 2000 than outgroup