<p>Three main theoretical approaches to the study of the causation of prejudice can be distinguished within psychological research. The cognitive approach suggests that prejudice is a function of cognitive processes where stereotypic information about social groups, stored in memory, is automatically activated and affects people’s judgements and behavior toward members of the target group. The personality approach suggests that prejudice is a function of people’s personality characteristics. Finally, the social psychological approach emphasizes people’s group membership and group identification as the as major source of causation.</p><p>Previous research has almost entirely focused on only one approach of causation at a time. The focus has also shifted periodically – with attention paid to one approach at each period of time. The present thesis is an attempt to integrate these approaches and suggests an integrative model where the relative contribution of each approach could be assessed. The underlying assumption is that all three approaches are meaningful and that prejudice is a complex phenomenon that is best explained by taking into account all approaches jointly.</p><p>Examining the cognitive approach, Paper I revealed that people are knowledgeable of the cultural stereotypes and that stereotypic information is automatically activated and affects people’s judgments. Paper II (and Paper III) supported the personality approach and revealed that prejudice is highly related to primary personality characteristics and, in line with a central idea in this approach, different types of prejudice (ethnic prejudice, sexism, homophobia, and prejudice toward disabled people) are highly correlated. The results of Paper III revealed the importance of group membership and group identification, supporting the social psychology approach.</p><p>The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and the necessity to integrate various approaches and disciplines to explain psychological phenomena in general and prejudice in particular. Also, implications of the findings for prejudice prevention are discussed.</p>

Three main theoretical approaches to the study of the causation of prejudice can be distinguished within psychological research. The cognitive approach suggests that prejudice is a function of cognitive processes where stereotypic information about social groups, stored in memory, is automatically activated and affects people’s judgements and behavior toward members of the target group. The personality approach suggests that prejudice is a function of people’s personality characteristics. Finally, the social psychological approach emphasizes people’s group membership and group identification as the as major source of causation. Previous research has almost entirely focused on only one approach of causation at a time. The focus has also shifted periodically – with attention paid to one approach at each period of time. The present thesis is an attempt to integrate these approaches and suggests an integrative model where the relative contribution of each approach could be assessed. The underlying assumption is that all three approaches are meaningful and that prejudice is a complex phenomenon that is best explained by taking into account all approaches jointly. Examining the cognitive approach, Paper I revealed that people are knowledgeable of the cultural stereotypes and that stereotypic information is automatically activated and affects people’s judgments. Paper II (and Paper III) supported the personality approach and revealed that prejudice is highly related to primary personality characteristics and, in line with a central idea in this approach, different types of prejudice (ethnic prejudice, sexism, homophobia, and prejudice toward disabled people) are highly correlated. The results of Paper III revealed the importance of group membership and group identification, supporting the social psychology approach. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research and the necessity to integrate various approaches and disciplines to explain psychological phenomena in general and prejudice in particular. Also, implications of the findings for prejudice prevention are discussed.

This study introduces narcissistic entitlement as a correlate of homonegative attitudes and behaviors and examines the relative strength of relations along with established correlates of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA), social dominance orientation (SDO), conformity with masculine norms, and intrinsic religious orientation. It also tests the role of negative attitudes towards lesbian women and gay men (ATLG) in mediating the relationship between the predictor variables and gay- and lesbian-rejecting and affirming behaviors. Implications for what these findings may offer psychologists are discussed, as are ways findings may inform the political process. Earlier studies support the link between entitlement and homonegativity (Exline, et al., 2004). Narcissism was positively related to dominance, neuroticism, social anxiety, and more aggressive/sadistic and rebellious/distrustful interpersonal styles (Emmons, 1984). Entitled narcissists are quick to take offense (McCullough, et al., 2003), externalize blame (Campbell, et al., 2000), and derogate or attack those who provide ego-threatening feedback or social rejection (Bushman, et al., 2003; Konrath, et al., 2006). Entitlement increases the risk of the narcissist becoming prone to hostile and reactive aggression and extreme violence, even without an ego-threat (Bushman, et al., 2003; Reidy, et al., 2008). Participants were recruited through the Department of Educational Psychology subject pool and data was collected by online survey. Given the focus on heterosexual men's attitudes toward lesbian women and gay men, participants were excluded from analysis if they identified as female, bisexual, or homosexual. Results indicated that entitlement, RWA, and intrinsic religiosity, but not conformity to masculine norms or SDO, were related uniquely to ATLG. ATLG was also related uniquely with measures of behavior, positively to gay- and lesbian-rejecting behaviors, and negatively with gay- and lesbian-affirming behaviors. ATLG was found to significantly mediate the links of entitlement and RWA with lesbian- and gay-rejecting behaviors. Results also indicated that the indirect link of intrinsic religious orientation with lesbian- and gay-rejecting behaviors was significant. Additionally, ATLG significantly mediated the links of entitlement with lesbian- and gay-affirming behaviors. Such an examination advances research and practice by identifying unique correlates of homonegative attitudes and the mechanisms through which they are related to lesbian- and gay-rejecting and -affirming behaviors. / text

Nous étudions le rôle de l'ethnicité de l’appropriateur sur les perceptions d’observateurs blancs envers l'acte d'appropriation, l’appropriateur et leur engagement dans la prise de décision sociale punitive. Nous explorons le rôle du pouvoir perçu par les participants de l'appropriateur et de leur orientation de dominance sociale (ODS). Des Américains blancs (N = 268) ont rempli un questionnaire préliminaire mesurant leur ODS et leur perception du pouvoir des groupes ethniques dans la société. Ils ont été assignés à l'une des trois conditions dans lesquelles ils ont lu une vignette présentant un individu Noir, Amérindien ou Blanc s'habillant en costume d’Amérindien pour l’Halloween. Les participants ont évalué si le choix du costume est approprié et leurs impressions de l'individu. Ils ont effectué une tâche de punition à la 2e personne (2PP) dans laquelle ils pouvaient punir l'individu. Les participants ont évalué si le choix du costume était une appropriation et appréciation culturelle. Nos résultats démontrent que les observateurs présentés avec l'individu Noir et Blanc percevaient l'acte comme moins approprié, plus appropriatif, moins appréciatif et percevaient l’individu comme moins chaleureux que lorsqu'ils ont lu que l’individu était Amérindien. Nous n'avons pas trouvé une influence significative de l’ethnicité de l’appropriateur sur leur choix de punir. Nos données ne soutiennent pas l’hypothèse exploratoire du rôle du pouvoir perçu sur nos mesures. Nos résultats suggèrent que l’ODS interagit avec l'ethnicité lorsque l'appropriateur est Noir et lorsqu’il est Blanc, inversant les relations trouvées pour l’ethnicité. D'autres recherches sont nécessaires pour clarifier les processus socio-psychologiques de l'appropriation culturelle. / We study the role of appropriator ethnicity on White observers’ perceptions towards the i) act of appropriation, ii) the appropriator, and iii) their engagement in punitive social decision-making towards the appropriator. We explore the influence of observers’ perceived power of the appropriator and their Social Dominance Orientation (SDO). White American participants (N = 268) completed a preliminary questionnaire measuring their SDO and their perception various ethnic groups have. They were randomly assigned to one of three conditions in which they read a vignette depicting a Black, Native American, or White individual dressing up for Halloween as a Native American. Participants were asked to rate the appropriateness of the costume, their impressions of the individual, followed by a 2nd Person Punishment (2PP) task wherein they could punish the individual. Participants were asked to rate to what extent the costume choice was cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. Participants presented with the Black and White individual perceived the act as less appropriate, more appropriative, less appreciative, and perceived the individual as less warm relative to when presented with a Native American. We failed to find a significant influence of ethnicity on participants’ engagement in punishment. We failed to find evidence supporting the role of perceived power of the appropriator on our measures. However, we found significant evidence that SDO interacts with ethnicity when the appropriator is Black or White, reversing relationships found for ethnicity. While this research provides interesting results, more research is required to clarify the social psychological processes of cultural appropriation.

Die vorliegende Dissertation wurde mit dem Ziel entworfen, ein besseres Verständnis zu erlangen, was die Anforderungen sind, die den künftigen Arbeitsgruppenmitgliedern erlauben, Bedürfnissen von modernen Unternehmen zu genügen. Die Kooperationsbereitschaft von Gruppenmitgliedern scheint ein Schlüsselfaktor zu sein, der ihre Fähigkeit freisetzt, einer beliebigen Aufgabe entgegen zu handeln. Quantitative wie auch qualitative Daten wurden im Rahmen einer explorativen Studie erhoben. Ein Fragebogen (Intercultural Attitude Orientation) wurde mit der Absicht entwickelt, Einstellung von Individuen gegenüber Diversität quer durch Populationen abzufragen. An der explorativen Studie haben 1351 Individuen aus 97 Ländern teilgenommen. Bei einer Faktorenanalyse von 12 Items wurde die entgültige acht Items umfassende Skala gebildet. Eine experimentelle Gruppenstudie wurde entworfen, um Entscheidungsprozesse anzustoßen, die erkennen lassen, ob die Kooperationsbereitschaft der Gruppenmitglieder die Gruppenperformanz erhöht. An der experimetellen Studie haben 249 Individuen teilgenommen, die nach einem Zufallsverfahren in Arbeitsgruppen eingeteilt wurden. Die unabhängigen Variablen waren demografische Gruppenkomposition und Informationsdiversität. Die abhängigen Variablen waren Messungen der Gruppenperformanz. Es wurde festgestellt, dass trotz der demografischen Gruppenkomposition Arbeitsgruppen, die Pakete mit unterschiedlichen Informationen erhielten, besser abgeschnitten haben, als Gruppen, denen Pakete mit ähnlichen Informationen zur Verfügung gestellt wurden. Erfahrung der Gruppenmitglieder mit Diversität, ihre Einstellung gegenüber Diversität, Social Dominance Orientation, Zufriedenheit, Kooperation, Ähnlichkeit in Arbeitsstil und Anzahl der gesprochenen Sprachen wurden getrennt im Hinblick auf die Gruppenergebnisse analysiert. Es wurde herausgefunden, dass diese Messungen in einigen Fällen zueinander in Beziehung standen, was einen Einfluß auf Gruppenprozess hatte. / The current dissertation has been designed with the attempt to seek a better understanding of the requirements for prospective workgroup members to fit demands of today''s organizations. Members'' willingness to cooperate appears to be a key factor unlocking their ability to act upon any given task. Quantitative as well as qualitative data have been gathered in the context of an explorative study. A questionnaire (Intercultural Attitude Orientation) has been constructed with the intent to sense individuals'' attitude toward diversity across populations diverging in age, gender, nationality, and occupational status. The explorative study involved the participation of 1351 individuals from 97 different countries. Out of twelve explorative items, one factor solution was extracted, thus building the final 8-item scale. An experimental group study was designed to elicit decision-making procedures set to entangle whether or not members'' readiness to cooperate enhances group performance in the context of a short and cognitively demanding task. The experimental study involved the participation of 249 individuals randomly assigned into workgroups. The two independent variables were group demographical composition and information diversity. Demographical composition was defined either according to national or gender demographics. The outcome variables were measures of workgroup performance. It was found that despite workgroup demographical composition, groups which received diverse information, performed better than workgroups, which received similar information. Members'' quality and quantity of exposure to diversity, attitude toward diversity, social dominance orientation, satisfaction, cooperation, work-style similarity, and number of spoken languages were separately analyzed with regard to group outcomes. Findings revealed that these measures were in some cases linked to one another, thus affecting group process.