abstract: National surveys indicate that Americans hold greater prejudice toward atheists than many other historically stigmatized groups. The religious prosociality perspective posits that people will demonstrate prejudice toward anyone who does not believe in a monitoring and punishing god, including atheists, because of the perception that those who lack belief in a monitoring and punishing god cannot be trusted to act in a prosocial manner. The sociofunctional perspective posits that people will demonstrate distinct forms of prejudice toward individuals who present certain types of threats to the group, and previous research suggests that atheists are perceived as posing a threat to group values. In the current study, participants rated targets whose values largely matched their own values more favorably than targets whose values did not largely match their own values. Also, participants rated both targets who believed in a monitoring and punishing god and targets who believed in a god who does not monitor nor punish more favorably than atheist targets. These judgments spanned a variety of measures, including emotional reactions to the target, judgments of target traits, and preferred social distance from the target. Results were consistent with the sociofunctional perspective but did not support the religious prosociality perspective. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.A. Psychology 2013

abstract: Courthouse dogs (sometimes referred to as facility animals) are expertly trained canines which may be used to assist individuals with psychological, emotional, or physical difficulties in a myriad of courtroom situations. While these animals are increasingly used to assist young witness to court, the jury is still out on whether or not they are prejudicial to the defendant. No known research exists in this area, although research is necessary to determine the possibly prejudicial nature of these animals. Using a mock trial paradigm involving a child sexual abuse case, the current study employed a 2 (Witness type: victim vs. bystander) x 3 (Innovation type: courthouse dog vs. teddy bear vs. none) fully-crossed factorial design. It was hypothesized that witness type and innovation type would interact to differentially impact jurors' judgments about the trial, defendant, and child witness. In addition, it was posited that emotions, such as anger and disgust, would also affect judgments and decision-making. Results indicate that courthouse dogs and comfort toys did impact jurors' decision making in some ways. In addition, emotions and witness credibility predicted sentencing, verdict, and other trial judgments. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Psychology 2013

La laïcité est considérée comme un pilier du modèle républicain français et est, aujourd’hui, utilisée en tant que modèle d’intégration concernant les immigrés et les minorités culturelles et religieuses en France. Les travaux en psychologie sociale étudiant l’impact de l’adhésion au principe de laïcité sur les relations intergroupes révèlent que ce principe prédit négativement la tolérance envers la diversité culturelle. Cependant, de nombreux sociologues, politologues et historiens s’accordent à dire que la laïcité, telle qu’elle est conçue aujourd’hui, ne correspond pas à ce qu’elle était initialement, au moment de la création de la Loi de Séparation des Eglises et de l’Etat, en 1905. Il semblerait donc qu’il existe, non pas une laïcité, mais plusieurs conceptions de celle-ci. L’objectif de cette thèse se décline en trois axes de recherche : le premier est de construire une échelle permettant de prendre en compte les différentes croyances de la laïcité ; le deuxième est d’étudier, dans quelle mesure, l’adhésion aux différentes croyances sous-jacentes à la laïcité est liée à plus ou moins de tolérance envers la diversité culturelle ; le troisième est d’étudier comment l’adhésion aux différentes dimensions sous-jacentes à la laïcité prédit plus ou moins de tolérance envers la diversité religieuse. Globalement, les résultats indiquent qu’il existe différentes conceptions de la laïcité, permettant soit de promouvoir la tolérance envers la diversité culturelle et religieuse, soit, au contraire, d’atténuer la tolérance envers la diversité culturelle et religieuse. Les apports de ce travail, tant au niveau de la recherche, qu’au niveau sociétal sont discutés lors de la conclusion générale / Laïcité is considered a pillar of the French Republican model and is used, today, as a model of integration concerning immigrants and cultural and religious minorities in France. Research in socialpsychology studying the impact of support for the principle of laïcité on intergroup relations reveal that this principle negatively predicts the tolerance of cultural diversity. However, many sociologists, political analysts and historians agree to say that laïcité, as it is understood today, does not correspond to its initial definition, at the time of the creation of the law of Separation of Churches and the State, in 1905. Thus, it would seem that several, not only one, conceptions of laïcité exit. The objective of this thesis is to highlight the different conceptions of laïcité, and to study, to what extent, these reduce, or, on contrary, promote the tolerance of cultural and religious diversity. This objective is delineated in three lines of research: the first is to construct a measure of beliefs concerning laïcité taking into account the different interpretations of laïcité expressed in the public debate; the second is to study, to what extent, adhesion to the dimensions of laïcité is related to more or less tolerance of cultural diversity; the third is to study, to what extent, adhesion to the dimensions of laïcité reduces, or, on the contrary, promotes tolerance of religious diversity. In conclusion, this thesis shows that different conceptions of laïcité exist. These either promote tolerance of cultural and religious diversity, or on the contrary, reduce tolerance of cultural and religious diversity. The contributions of this work, both at the level of academic research, and at the societal level are discussed in the general conclusion

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / As prÃticas de preconceito e de tolerÃncia dentro das escolas pÃblicas vÃm sendo bastante discutidas na sociedade e na comunidade acadÃmica. Entendemos o preconceito como uma prÃtica que tende a universalizar estereÃtipos. A tolerÃncia à um termo bastante ambivalente que possui diversos significados: pode sugerir uma aceitaÃÃo, respeito, renÃncia, indiferenÃa, benevolÃncia, coexistÃncia pacÃfica, dentre outros. Em tempos em que à necessÃrio aceitar e entender o outro, a palavra tolerÃncia pode surgir com um tom eufÃmico e brando, enquanto os preconceitos podem reforÃar a repetibilidade dos estereÃtipos. Neste sentido, nÃo se trata de matar, enfrentar, rivalizar, amar ou odiar o outro, mas sim produzi-lo com base em um saber que diz o que o sujeito Ã; e um poder que sanciona, normaliza e disciplina os corpos. Esta dissertaÃÃo analisa as prÃticas de preconceito e de tolerÃncia no contexto de uma escola pÃblica de Fortaleza localizada no bairro Mucuripe. AtravÃs da modulaÃÃo preconceito-tolerÃncia, fazemos uma discussÃo do outro como uma questÃo filosÃfica e polÃtica, utilizando o referencial teÃrico de Michel Foucault, Carlos Skliar, Tomaz Tadeu da Silva, dentre outros. A proposta teÃrico-metodolÃgica utilizada à a pesquisa-intervenÃÃo, atravÃs dos seguintes dispositivos: observaÃÃes informais, diÃrio de bordo e oficinas. Os sujeitos participantes da pesquisa foram: 15 alunos das sÃries 8Â, 9 e 1 ano, e 16 professores de distintas Ãreas. A pesquisa foi realizada de agosto a novembro de 2014, tendo tido 60 horas de duraÃÃo. A partir das oficinas, foi possÃvel visualizar oito analisadores que se relacionaram Ãs prÃticas de preconceitos na escola: sexualidade e gÃnero; padrÃes de beleza e modos de ser; bullying; racismo; diferenÃas de classe social; professores e alunos; deficiÃncias; religiÃo. Jà nas prÃticas de tolerÃncia os analisadores foram: os ideais de igualdade e de liberdade; os imperativos da lei e a judicializaÃÃo da vida; as atitudes religiosas resignadas e passivas; as atitudes serenas e respeitadoras. No agenciamento preconceito-tolerÃncia foi possÃvel observar os ideais de igualdade e a celebraÃÃo da diferenÃa como um modo de legitimar os preconceitos. AtravÃs destes, concluÃmos que os preconceitos e as tolerÃncias podem se configurar como potentes produtores de verdade, de acordo com relaÃÃes de poder e de saber. Para tanto, a partir da metÃfora da casa de Bachelard e da releitura de Veiga-Neto, à preciso que habitemos os porÃes, uma vez que as origens das prÃticas de preconceito e de tolerÃncia estÃo enraizadas neles; sendo atravÃs desse espaÃo que se dà a sustentaÃÃo das nossas visÃes de mundo e das nossas maneiras de pensar.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-11T13:41:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre de Oliveira Marques.pdf: 462376 bytes, checksum: 06fffaaa3a21ba3d6dc2ad66f846cff3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-09-20 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present work intends to know the social representations of Brazilian north-east men, residents in the city of Manaus, on the Amazonian caboclos. An analysis about the first meanings of caboclo reveals that it could be an original tupi word, which means the man who came from the forest . It was used so, to designate people called indigenous who, messy, started to live at towns. Caboclo is a word used in a hostile mean, and, according the community studies realized at the decade of 1940, it is a word which is always applied to other persons. However, from the decade of 1980 so far, caboclo seems to be a political term, used to indicate a identity supposed as original of the Amazonian rain forest. In this point of view, the pejorative meanings for caboclo would be no more than prejudice. In our approach we understand that stigmatized people can not be identified as real persons. So, the theory of social representations helps us to understand the process, and not only the product, presented in the construction of the caboclos identity. Initially, we thought we can not understand caboclo without considering the presence of the Brasilian north-east groups at Manaus. So we started to investigate the Brazilian north-east men representations because this group was supposed to be outside of the problem, and able to contribute with a non pejorative representation of caboclos. The nine interviews chosen here reveals that both social groups do not encounters each other directly. Reveals that even caboclo is elected as an Amazonian original identity, the people called as caboclos has no privileged condition. Reveals finally that even representations re-presents a concept historically well-made, also keeps stigmatization, treating the other in the condition of a stranger. / Este trabalho tem como objetivo conhecer as representações sociais de nordestinos em Manaus sobre o caboclo amazônico. Uma tentativa de entender a história da palavra caboclo revela que o primeiro significado da expressão pode ter sido formulado no tupi, o que vem da floresta , para designar os assim chamados índios que, desregrados, passaram a conviver nas vilas. É um termo que carrega hostilidade para com os grupos assim chamados, e que segundo os estudos de comunidade realizados no baixo Amazonas na década de 1940 parece ser aplicado somente aos outros, nunca ao próprio interlocutor. Entretanto, a partir da década de 1980 em Manaus, observa-se um movimento basicamente levantado em propaganda política, no sentido de entender o caboclo como uma identidade original, tomando a chamada floresta amazônica como sua referência geográfica ou região natural. O caboclo seria então identidade de um povo e o sentido depreciativo da palavra não seria mais que preconceito. Nossa abordagem, por outro lado, entende que os estigmatizados não podem ser identificados como pessoas reais. A teoria das representações sociais é empregada, portanto, para se entender não apenas o produto, mas também o processo de construção da suposta identidade cabocla. Nossa hipótese inicial é que não seria possível entender o caboclo sem considerar a participação nordestina em Manaus, e assim, nordestinos residentes na cidade são entrevistados na condição suposta de um grupo que não compartilharia dos preconceitos locais, na tentativa de uma outra visão, de fora do problema. As nove entrevistas aqui reunidas, porém, acrescentam que nordestinos e caboclos não se relacionam diretamente, que apesar de considerado um tipo regional, o caboclo não detém condição privilegiada, e que as representações, ao mesmo tempo em que re-apresentam um termo historicamente consolidado, ajudam a manter a estigmatização, deixando o outro na condição de estranho.

Introdução - Dentre as consequências da obesidade, estão questões psicológicas e sociais como o preconceito e a discriminação social, que trazem implicações negativas para a saúde do indivíduo obeso. As atitudes de profissionais da saúde em relação à obesidade podem ser influenciadas por visões negativas sobre os indivíduos obesos e as causas que o levaram a obesidade e podem influenciar a conduta profissional. Objetivo - Avaliar a existência de atitudes negativas em relação aos indivíduos obesos entre estudantes universitários de nutrição. Métodos - Estudo transversal descritivo, no qual estudantes de nutrição responderam instrumentos on-line no site do projeto Estudo de Saúde de Nutricionistas (NutriHS): a) avaliação sociodemográfica e do estado nutricional; b) escala de silhuetas brasileiras para avaliação de satisfação e percepção corporal; c) fatores de desenvolvimento da obesidade; d) Antifat Attitudes Test (AFAT) - adaptado transculturalmente para este estudo; e) avaliação da conduta terapêutica em relação ao paciente obeso. A frequência de resposta para os fatores de desenvolvimento da obesidade foi analisada, e seu escore comparado com a pontuação na AFAT total e subescalas, percepção e insatisfação corporal e Índice de Massa Corpórea (IMC) utilizando o coeficiente de correlação de Pearson. Escores na AFAT (total e subescalas) foram comparados entre os sexos, e associações entre os mesmos foram avaliadas com relação às variáveis sociodemográficas e de caracterização da amostra. Análises de regressão linear simples e múltipla foram utilizadas para avaliar a relação entre as características da amostra e as atitudes dos estudantes de nutrição. A comparação das respostas dos estudantes com relação à conduta terapêutica em relação ao paciente obeso foi conduzida por meio do Teste de Kruskal Wallis, seguido de Teste de Comparações Múltiplas das Médias 3 das Ordens. Resultados Participaram do estudo 335 alunos de nutrição (idade média 23 anos) de universidade/faculdades diversas, principalmente do 1º ano de graduação (40 por cento ), sexo feminino (94 por cento ), solteiros (87 por cento ), e com renda familiar entre 1 e 5 salários mínimos (62 por cento ). Houve elevado índice de insatisfação corporal - 54 por cento das mulheres 58 por cento dos homens - e percepção corporal alterada especialmente entre as mulheres (71 por cento ). Os principais fatores determinantes da obesidade listados foram: 1) Inatividade física; 2) Comer uma quantidade maior do que a necessária; 3) Alterações metabólico-hormonais; 4) Vício/dependência em comida; 5) Comer alimentos inadequados. A pontuação na AFAT total foi associada positivamente a idade e ao sexo masculino e negativamente ao IMC e o ano de graduação. As condutas terapêuticas dos estudantes foram influenciadas pelo peso do paciente hipotético e revelaram a presença de preconceito. Conclusões A respostas aos determinantes da obesidade demonstraram que os estudantes possuem crenças em fatores estigmatizadores do indivíduo obeso. As atitudes mais negativas em relação à obesidade foram encontradas para os homens e os estudantes mais velhos. E pode-se confirmar que o peso de um paciente hipotético influencia a conduta terapêutica sugerida pelo estudante, com atitudes negativas para com o indivíduo obeso. Os resultados indicam, portanto, que estes estudantes de nutrição atribuem causas comportamentais para a obesidade, pautam possível conduta terapêutica pelo peso do indivíduo (mesmo que a questão de saúde colocada não tenha relação direta com estado nutricional) e apresentam atitudes negativas e preconceito em relação aos indivíduos obesos. / Introduction - Among the consequences of obesity, there are psychological and social issues as prejudice and social discrimination, which have negative implications for the health of obese person. The health professional attitudes towards obesity can be influenced by negative views of obese people and the causes that led to obesity can influence the professional conduct. Aim To evaluate the existence of negative attitudes toward obese people among dietetic undergraduate students. Methods - Descriptive cross-sectional study in which nutrition students answered online tools on the project site \'Health Study Nutritionists \"(NutriHS): a) sociodemographic evaluation and nutritional status; b) scale of Brazilian silhouettes to evaluate patients satisfaction and body awareness; c) the obesity development factors; d) Antifat Attitudes Test (AFAT) - culturally adapted for this study; e) evaluation of the therapeutic approach toward obese patient. The frequency of responses to the obesity development factors was analysed, and its score compared to the overall score and subscales AFAT, perception and body dissatisfaction and body mass index (BMI) using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Scores in AFAT (total and subscales) were compared between the genres, and associations between them were evaluated toward sociodemographic variables and characteristics of the sample. Analysis of simple linear and multiple regression were used to evaluate the relationship between the sample characteristics and attitudes of nutrition students. The comparison of students\' responses regarding the therapeutic approach toward obese person was conducted using Kruskal Wallis test, followed Test of Multiple Comparisons of Order Averages. Results 335 students from several nutrition university courses (mean age 23 years) participated during this research, mainly the 1st graduation year students (40 per cent ), being women 5 (94 per cent ), single (87 per cent ), and family income between 1 and 5 minimum wages (62 per cent ). There was high body dissatisfaction index - 54 per cent women 58 per cent men - and altered body perception especially among women (71 per cent ). The main determinants of obesity were: 1) Physical inactivity; 2) Eating an amount greater than needed; 3) Metabolic and hormonal changes; 4) Addiction / dependence on food; 5) Eating inadequate food. The score in the total AFAT was positively associated with age and male and negatively with BMI and the year of graduation. The therapeutic procedures of the students were influenced by hypothetical patient\'s weight and they revealed the presence of prejudice. Conclusions The answers to obesity determinants have shown that students have stigmatizing factors beliefs about obese person. The most negative attitudes toward obesity were found among men and older students. It is possible to confirm that the weight of a hypothetical patient influences the therapeutic approach suggested by the student, who has negative attitudes towards obese person. Therefore, the results indicate that these nutrition students attribute behavioural causes to obesity. They also use possible therapeutic approach guided by the individual\'s weight (even if the health question has not connected to nutritional status) and have negative attitudes and prejudice against obese people.

Syftet med denna studie är att ta reda på om det finns några skillnader gällande attityder gentemot personer med eller utan ADHD.  En enkätundersökning genomfördes med scenario som beskrev personer med typiska ADHD-beteenden. Kön på scenariopersonerna manipulerades och även om det var uttalat i scenarierna att personen hade ADHD eller inte. Bakgrundsvariabler som undersöktes var utbildning hos respondenterna och om de eller nära anhörig hade ADHD eller inte.               Resultatet visade att det som signifikant påverkar attityden gentemot personer med typiska ADHD beteenden är om man själv eller nära anhörig har ADHD. De personer som själva eller har anhörig med ADHD uppvisar i högre grad positiva attityder jämfört med de som inte har ADHD själva eller nära anhörig. Resultaten visade på att varken utbildning hos respondenten eller kön på scenariopersonerna har betydelse för attityder.               Att man är mer positivt inställd till personerna om man själv eller nära anhörig har ADHD kan ha att göra med att ADHD inte är något som man idag skäms över, utbildning och kunskap om ADHD har gått framåt vilket kan ha bidragit till att allmänhetens acceptans har ökat. Man har idag mer kunskap om vad det innebär att ha ADHD och att leva med den. Det kan i sin tur lett till mindre negativa attityder mot personer med diagnosen.   Nyckelord: ADHD, attityder, fördomar, diagnos. / The purpose of this study is to find out if there are any differences regarding attitudes towards people with or without ADHD. A survey conducted by scenario describing people whit typical ADHD behaviors.  Gender on the scenarioperson was manipulated and if the person had ADHD or not. Background variables examined were education of respondents and whether they or a close relative had ADHD or not.               The results showed that significantly impact the attitudes towards persons with typical ADHD behaviors is if they or a close relative has ADHD. If the people themselves have a family member with ADHD showed greater positive attitudes than those who hadn’t ADHD themselves or relative with the diagnosis. The results showed that neither the education of the respondent or sex of scenarioperson have a significance on attitudes.               That the participant is more sympathetic to people if they, or a close relative with ADHD, may have to do with that ADHD is something that you are not ashamed of today. Education and awareness of ADHD has progressed, which has made public acceptance increased, currently we have more knowledge about what it means to have ADHD, and to live with it. This has in turn led to less negative attitudes towards people with the diagnosis. Keywords: ADHD, attitudes, prejudice, diagnosis.

Master of Science / Department of Psychological Sciences / Donald A. Saucier / The current research examined whether participants’ levels of racial prejudice impact their perceptions of a Black racial slur (“nigga”) used by a Black individual toward a White individual. The “racism justification hypothesis” predicts racial prejudice will be negatively related to perceptions of offensiveness due to motivations to trivialize racial slurs which allows for increased use of the slur by individuals higher in prejudice. The “hierarchy defense hypothesis” predicts racial prejudice will be positively related to more negative perceptions of the slur due to White individuals seeking to resist affiliation with Black individuals and perceiving affiliative attempts as threatening. Consistent with the hierarchy defense hypothesis, the results showed racial prejudice predicted greater offensive and negatively expressive perceptions, and lower positively expressive perceptions following “nigga” being used by a Black individual toward a White individual (Study 1). In Study 2, the current research examined whether motivations to trivialize racial slurs (i.e., racism justification) versus participants’ experiences of threat (i.e., hierarchy defense) mediated the relationships between racial prejudice and perceptions of “nigga” used by a Black individual toward a White individual. Consistent with the hierarchy defense hypothesis, racial prejudice, through status hierarchy threat, predicted greater offensive and negatively expressive perceptions, and lower positively expressive perceptions. The racism justification hypothesis was also supported. Participants’ levels of racial prejudice, through racism trivialization, were generally related to lower perceptions of the slur as offensive and greater perceptions of the slur as positively expressive. The current research then examined participants’ perceptions of “nigga” reciprocated by the White individual toward the Black individual. Interestingly, racial prejudice, through status hierarchy threat, predicted greater offensive and negatively expressive perceptions and lower positively expressive perceptions. Racial prejudice, through racism trivialization, predicted generally lower offensive perceptions and greater positively expressive perceptions. Thus, participants may have used their experiences of threat as justification for explicit prejudice toward the Black individual (i.e., perceiving the slur as more offensive and negative), while individuals who experienced trivialization motivations attempted to decrease their experiences of suppression factors by perceiving the slur as less offensive, allowing for increased use of the slur. Implications for these findings are discussed.

This research is an exploratory study, examining how people feel about HIV/AIDS and their reaction towards a person who tested HIV positive. The purpose of the study was to explore factors contributing to the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS in Mamelodi and Atteridgeville. Thirty fieldworkers interviewed a convenient sample of 1077 respondents from different ethnic groups, gender, educational level, marital status and age groups and found that respondents tend to stigmatising persons with HIV/AIDS. This research uses both quantitative and qualitative methods as a research approach. The two methodologies were used with the intention of making some contribution to the methodology of social psychological HIV/AIDS studies. The questionnaire was employed as a quantitative instrument with a view to identify the respondents’ views. The questionnaire consists of five (5) sections: Personal information, health related questions, an HIV knowledge scale consisting of 16 questions and two HIV stigma scales used to assess personal and perceived community stigma. The level of personal stigma attached to HIV/AIDS was found to be lower than the level of stigma perceived in the community. This indicates that people perceive a collective stigma in the community that is negative, blaming, judging and restrictive towards interaction with people with HIV/AIDS. The perception of highly stigmatising attitudes in the community was shared by all sub-groups in the study. Only 22% of people surveyed would be scared or felt uncomfortable sending their child to school with children living with AIDS. Almost 42% of respondents believe that people who were exposed to AIDS through sex got what they deserved. In general, research shows that knowledge of HIV is quite high (95%). / Dissertation (MA (Research Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Psychology / unrestricted

This diploma thesis is focused on selected psychological aspects of racism. In the introduction, I define basic concepts of the problem and I present wider context of psychology of racism. The main focus of the thesis is put on psychological forms of racism, racist attitudes, stereotypes and prejudices and their measurement. An important part also deals with psychological roots of racism and psychological theories that explain racism. The next chapter is focused on the specifics of adolescence in the context of racism. The research part is an explicit and implicit measurement of the attitudes of adolescents towards ethnic or national minorities that play animportan role in the Czech Republic. 404 high school students participated in the research. In addition to the results of the individual parts of the research, it is also beneficial the correlation of the methods and the comparison with the previous studies, which indicates the complexity of the problem.