4.2 Attitude Formation and Attitude Change

A stereotype is a generalized concept about a group. Stereotypes can help reduce cognitive load when making decisions or judgments, but they are frequently the basis of prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory behaviors. Stereotypes can be the cause and/or result of biased perceptions and experiences. Implicit attitudes are those that individuals hold but may be unaware of or may not acknowledge. Research has focused on how implicit attitudes reflect negative evaluations of others, as demonstrated by: Just-world phenomenon: the belief that people get what they deserve, which leads to blaming victims of misfortune for their suffering. Out-group homogeneity bias: the perception that all members of an out-group are similar ("they all look alike"), while one's own group has rich variety. In-group bias: favoring members of one's own group. Ethnocentrism: judging other cultures by the standards of one's own.