SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Christina Solomon ID# 1106394 Kwame Bailey ID# 0411611 Lamar Morrison ID# Sharon Smith ID# 0701586 Suzette Shecklude ID# 1100582

University of Technology, Jamaica Introduction to Psychology Ms. Joan Black March 27, 2012

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY a) What is Attitude?

Attitude according to Statt (1988) is a stable, long-lasting, learned predisposition to respond to certain things in a certain way. The concept has a cognitive (belief) aspect, an effective (feeling) aspect and a conative (intention) aspect. Similarly, Tavris, Wade (2008) defines attitude as a belief about people, groups, ideas, or activities. b) Three components of Attitude

According to Tavris, Wade (2008) the three components of Attitude are cognitive, affective and behavioral. The cognitive component deals with the mental aspect Tavris, Wade ((2008) and also consist of beliefs and perceptions. An example of this component could be a statement such as I think that Bobby is not a kind individual. In contrast the affective component according to Tavris, Wade (2008) deals with the emotional aspect while the behavioral component deals with actions and more specifically it consist of the predisposition to act a certain way towards the attitude object. I feel safe when Bobby is around is an example of the affective component, however, at least every holiday I go to the country to spend time with my relatives is an example of the behavioral component of attitude. c) Practical examples illustrating the acquisition of attitudes from two possible sources Attitudes form directly as a result of experience. They may emerge due to direct personal experience, or they may result from observation. Social roles and social norms can have a strong influence on attitudes. Social roles relate to how people are expected to behave in

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY a particular role or context. Social norms involve societys rule for what behaviours are considered appropriate (Kendra Cherry, psychology About.com Feb. 2012). Two possible ways through which attitudes can be acquired are:1. 2. Classical Conditioning Operant Conditioning

Classical Conditioning by definition is the process by which a previously neutral stimulus acquires the capacity to elicit a response through association with a stimulus that already elicits a similar or related response. (Invitation to Psychology, Carole Wade & Carol Tavris 4th Ed. Pg G-2) An example of a Classical Conditioning is how advertisers influence peoples attitudes toward a particular product. In a television commercial, you see young beautiful people having fun on a tropical beach while enjoying a sport drink. This attractive and appealing imagery causes you to develop a positive attitude with this particular beverage. Operant Conditioning is the process by which a response becomes more likely to occur or less so, depending on its consequences. (Invitation to Psychology, Carole Wade & carol Tavris 4th Ed. Pg G-6) Operant Conditioning can also be used to influence how attitudes develop for example, a young man who has just started smoking, whenever he lights up a cigarette, people complain, chastise him and ask him to leave their presence. This negative feedback from those around him eventually causes him to develop an unfavourable opinion of smoking and thus he decides to give up the habit. (Kendra Cherry, Psychology About.com Feb 2012)

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY d) Explanation of prejudice and an outline of two possible repercussion of prejudice among youth within Jamaican community Explanation of prejudice: On simplypsychology.org explain prejudice has an unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely on the individuals membership of a social group. Common features of prejudice include negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs, and a tendency to discriminate against members of a group

First what is stereotype and discrimination?

Stereotype SimplyPsychology.comdescribe Stereotyping is when we fit someone into a category and completely disregard anything individual about them- we just assume that everyone who fits into that category is the same. Stereotypes can be either positive ("black men are good at basketball") or negative ("women are bad drivers").

Discrimination Simplypsychology.com explainDiscrimination is the behaviour or actions, usually negative, towards an individual or group of people.

Types of Prejudice

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Prejudice can be based upon a number of factors including sex, race, age, sexual orientations, nationality, socioeconomic status and religion. Some of the most well-known types of prejudice include:

Racism Sexism Classicism Homophobia Religious prejudice Ageism

Beyondpsycology.com describes: Racism Racism is the hatred of one person by another -- or the belief that another person is less than human -because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any factor that supposedly reveals the basic nature of that person. It has influenced wars, slavery, the formation of nations, and legal codes.

Sexism Sexism is a form of discrimination or devaluation based on a person's sex, with such attitudes being based on beliefs in traditional stereotypes of gender roles. The term sexism is most often used in relation to discrimination against women.

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Classism Classism is differential treatment based on social class or perceived social class. Classism is the systematic oppression of subordinated class groups to advantage and strengthen the dominant class groups. Its the systematic assignment of characteristics of worth and ability based on social class.

Homophobia Homophobia is a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards homosexuality and people who are identified or perceived as being homosexual.

Ageism Ageism, also called age discrimination is stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age based prejudice, discrimination, and subordination.

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Two possible repercussion of prejudice among youth within Jamaican community:

Homophobia is one prejudice among youths in jamaica

Jamaica males find it more disturbing to associate them self with homosexual males as apposes to female who are more willing to accept the alternative life style. However most women and men find it less disturbing with a lesbophobia Has shown on the website Jamaica gay watch in the article about CVM TV LIVE @ 7

On Wednesday February 8th 2012 was the night successful asylum seeker in Canada, lawyer and former self-styled local advocate Maurice Tomlinson made his first appearance on local television via live feed on camera on CVM TV to talk about supposed Gay brain drain, the impression given was that gay professionals were leaving Jamaica in droves like himself due to threats on his life or their lives An example of the supposed safety however of these persons from the professional class was presented by psychologist LeachimSemaj who was in studio to discuss to topic, he mentioned Stacy Ann Chin an open lesbian poet who usually returns to Jamaica for readings at the now defunct Calabash literary festival etc. and she has not been attacked, but then again she is a lesbian apart from her class insulation and SGL women are far less prone to be attacked that easily more so than perceived gay men although more butch identified women have been feeling the brunt of a new wave of lesbophobia since 2007 with evictions, corrective rape episodes and even arson.

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Racism is another prejudice among Jamaican youths The Jamaica gleaner.com proves that Color prejudice is nothing new in Jamaica, its always there, but now with world economic crisis, its showing its ugly head again!... I am sure if you put two beautiful women before ten men. One of the women is lighted skin, and the other is black, almost all the men would want the light skin!Thats color prejudice!Soits nothing new its always there, the same goes for women. The psychologist explained that many people in Jamaica are still of the opinion that persons with lighter complexion are more attractive and that also leads to why most people use skin lighting cream with the intension that they are more attractive because they have lighter skin not identifying the fact that they are damaging their skin and that embarrassed of their culture when they should be embracing it and being proud of it.