OPINION 7.1 Alice Benningfield  1 posts Re:Module 7 DQ 1 Which theory of the origins of prejudice best describes the relationship between our attitudes and our behavior? Why? When it comes to describing the relationship between our attitudes and our behavior, I believe that the theory that best describes it, is the social identity theory. According to Smith and DeCoster (1998), most individuals feel that they belong to a group. These groups include family, nationality, social class, school or work teams, among others and are an important source of self-esteem and pride (Smith & DeCoster, 1998). Social identity is strongly related to social norms, which are those behaviors considered appropriately within a social group (Hogg, 2006). When individuals adopt a social identity, they often conform to certain norms of the group. As a result of this conformity, when the group tends to expressively act in a biased way toward other groups, the individual often conforms to the social norms of the group and behaves similarity (Hogg, 2006). However, because people need to justify their behaviors, it is possible that negative attitudes toward an outgroup can also develop as a result of the acquired discriminative behavior; nevertheless, it is worth noting that prejudices against outsiders can be directly transmitted from social norms just as the behaviors do (Smith & DeCoster, 1998). Although the social identity theory might not be the only theory dealing with prejudices that links attitudes with behavior, it does give a framework with a potential explanation on how attitudes can be either directly transmitted from the in-group or developed after behaviors controlled by social norms have been derived. Hogg, M. A. (2006). Social identity theory. Contemporary social psychological theories, 13, 111-1369. Smith, E. R., & DeCoster, J. (1998). Knowledge acquisition, accessibility, and use in person perception and stereotyping: Simulation with a recurrent connectionist network. Journal of personality and social psychology, 74(1), 21-35. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.21 QUESTION FROM THE PROFESSOR Jodi Swanson  1 posts Re:Re:Module 7 DQ 2 Really poignant insights here, Elizabeth. I'm particularly intrigued by your attention to how the Contact Hypothesis might apply to the current and ongoing crises with refugee migration. Just as you've noted, some Syrian refugees in particular have assimilated substantially into their new culture in terms of obtaining and maintaining a living, whereas in others, they have serious difficulty doing so. We cannot know the multitude of possible confounding variables influencing these differences, but certainly some (much?) of this must have to do with the political and social culture of the receiving nation--whereas some of this must have to do with the individual ingenuity of the refugees themselves.  Class: After reading Elizabeth's post here, consider when and why migrating peoples are received well versus poorly in some na.

1. OPINION 7.1
Alice Benningfield
1 posts
Re:Module 7 DQ 1
Which theory of the origins of prejudice best describes the
relationship between our attitudes and our behavior? Why?
When it comes to describing the relationship between our
attitudes and our behavior, I believe that the theory that best
describes it, is the social identity theory. According to Smith
and DeCoster (1998), most individuals feel that they belong to a
group. These groups include family, nationality, social class,
school or work teams, among others and are an important source
of self-esteem and pride (Smith & DeCoster, 1998). Social
identity is strongly related to social norms, which are those
behaviors considered appropriately within a social group (Hogg,
2006). When individuals adopt a social identity, they often
conform to certain norms of the group. As a result of this
conformity, when the group tends to expressively act in a biased
way toward other groups, the individual often conforms to the
social norms of the group and behaves similarity (Hogg, 2006).
However, because people need to justify their behaviors, it is
possible that negative attitudes toward an outgroup can also
develop as a result of the acquired discriminative behavior;
nevertheless, it is worth noting that prejudices against outsiders
can be directly transmitted from social norms just as the
behaviors do (Smith & DeCoster, 1998). Although the social
identity theory might not be the only theory dealing with
prejudices that links attitudes with behavior, it does give a
framework with a potential explanation on how attitudes can be
either directly transmitted from the in-group or developed after
behaviors controlled by social norms have been derived.
Hogg, M. A. (2006). Social identity theory. Contemporary
social psychological theories, 13, 111-1369.

2. Smith, E. R., & DeCoster, J. (1998). Knowledge acquisition,
accessibility, and use in person perception and stereotyping:
Simulation with a recurrent connectionist network. Journal of
personality and social psychology, 74(1), 21-35.
doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.1.21
QUESTION FROM THE PROFESSOR
Jodi Swanson
1 posts
Re:Re:Module 7 DQ 2
Really poignant insights here, Elizabeth. I'm particularly
intrigued by your attention to how the Contact Hypothesis might
apply to the current and ongoing crises with refugee migration.
Just as you've noted, some Syrian refugees in particular have
assimilated substantially into their new culture in terms of
obtaining and maintaining a living, whereas in others, they have
serious difficulty doing so. We cannot know the multitude of
possible confounding variables influencing these differences,
but certainly some (much?) of this must have to do with the
political and social culture of the receiving nation--whereas
some of this must have to do with the individual ingenuity of
the refugees themselves.
Class: After reading Elizabeth's post here, consider when and
why migrating peoples are received well versus poorly in some
nations versus others. With respect to Allport's Contact
Hypothesis, if contact itself is somewhat even (i.e., the native
peoples of the nation and the migrating refugees of the nation
are in contact with each other relatively equally), what other

3. factors are at play to influence this?
Dr. Swanson
Terrence Sawyer
1 posts
Re:Module 7 DQ 1
Which theory of the origins of prejudice best describes the
relationship between our attitudes and our behavior? Why?
In relations to theories of prejudice, as a nurture aspect, the
social-model theory and theories of identity status and self-
worth reflect attitude relationship with behavior. In most cases
an individual's behavior will be reflective of their
discrimination, different from prejudice, which is more attitude,
discrimination is sometimes the resulting act of the attitude, yet
in some cases a person may have an attitude or prejudice
towards a person or idea yet not act in a discriminatory manner.
The level of identity status and self-acceptance reflect
themselves in correlation of attitude and behavior. The attitudes
and behaviors will usually be a combination of the roots of the
prejudice or the dissonance in personal coping within self-
regulation to reflect individual unique traits or impressions
from in-group or out-group associations (McLeod, 2008).
Opinions and prejudice are the same in my definition. Opinions
do not always have a valid source, as prejudices are not always
of reliable or valid information. Prejudice can be developed
from personal experience as well as environmental or cultural
influence without awareness of relevant facts (Christians.
Crandall & Schaller, 2008).
Origins of prejudice also come from self-esteem and self-
identity issue. balancing self-worth from social acceptance as
with the Social Identity theory division of self from the in-
group and out-group promotes prejudice that influence behavior.
Crandall, C. S., & Schaller, M. (2008). Social psychology of

4. prejudice: Historical and contemporary issues edited by.
Retrieved from
https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/bitstream/handle/1808/4090/167-
188.pdf?sequence=1
Crandall, C. S., Bahns, A. J., Warner, R., & Schaller, M.
(2011). Stereotypes as justifications of prejudice. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 37(11), 1488–1498.
doi:10.1177/0146167211411723
McLeod, S. (2008). Social identity theory. Retrieved September
4, 2016, from http://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-
theory.html
Isaac Fanuiel
1 posts
Re:Module 7 DQ 1
Which theory of the origins of prejudice best describes the
relationship between our attitudes and our behavior? Why?
Prejudice is ubiquitous; it humanity as a whole. People are
prejudiced against many aspects of identity ranging from
nationality or ethnicity to physical state to professions and
hobbies (GCU, 2013). This subject has garnered much interest
for many years in hopes of reducing the effect it has on those
that discriminate and those that are discriminated against.
I often think about the idea that prejudice is a natural human
characteristic that has to be identified and suppressed. As we
have learned here in this class the processes that we use to
navigate the world require us to put things in groups
(categorization, heuristics, stereotypes). A negative that occurs
from grouping happens when we do not properly group people
and this action goes unchecked we can go through life with
these improperly organized categorizations. Once bias,
stereotypes and prejudice are combined the behavior that
follows is discrimination.
Discrimination is the behavioral component of prejudice.
Discrimination is an unjustified negative or harmful and hurtful
action toward a member of a group, simply because of his/her

5. membership in that group (GCU, 2013). Here in America, this
has been evident with the historically poor treatment of African
Americans. This discrimination was personified through
slavery, jim crow, lynchings, mass incarceration and police
brutality.
Prejudice is manifested institutionally as well. Institutionalized
prejudice refers to the idea that prejudiced attitudes are held by
the vast majority of people because they live in a society where
stereotypes and discrimination are the norm (GCU, 2013).
Examples of institutionalized prejudice can be seen in
governmental, medical, financial and housing institutions.
Finally, I think the theory of conflict is a theory that explains
the relationship between our attitudes and our behaviors. Yet I
feel that an alternative theory needs to be developed to
adequately address prejudice in a way that promotes the
reduction of prejudice and not just an explaination of the
theory.
Reference
GCU, 2013. Lecture 7. PSY-866.