Chapter 11 - Negative Interdependence and Prejudice: Whence the Affect?

Abstract

This chapter presents the negative interdependence and prejudice. Numerous researchers have attempted to account for the prejudice associated with outgroup members. Some approaches to this problem start at the level of the individual and largely confine their analysis to processes that occur within the individual. Other approaches start at the level of society, examining the interactions of groups as groups, that is, concentrating their analyses on several people interacting with several other people. The chapter discusses both Allport's genuine conflicts of interest and many imaginary conflicts. It discusses the mechanisms that underlie negative affect toward outgroup members and presents some supporting evidence from both own research and some of the hallmark works in stereotyping, affect, and prejudice. The chapter discusses two major techniques of negative affect reduction in light of the current perspective.