Aversive racism: a question of individual and cultural beliefs dissociation?

Abstract

Current approaches to prejudice and racism suggest that, though discriminatory behaviour is now socially deplored, it has not lessened. Even low prejudiced individuals can discriminate in a more indirect or subtle way (e.g. Gaetner & Dovidio, 1986; Dovidio & Gaertner, 1998; Devine, 1989). The assumption of two distinct knowledge structures can help us explain why this may happen. These knowledge structures correspond to our cultural beliefs (stereotypes) which are frequently and easily activated, and our individual beliefs, only activated in some circumstances (Devine, 1989). The discriminative or non-discriminative nature of subsequent judgments is a function of the activation of one or the other type of knowledge structure. This hypothesis was addressed in two different studies. One regarding criminal judgments (Study 1) and another regarding job-related behaviours (Study 2). The differential activation of these knowledge structures was induced by the manipulation of processing goals. (...)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17575/rpsicol.v16i2.486