Abstract
Individual differences in explicit prejudice have long been a central concern in intergroup relations, yet no study has investigated the latent structure of prejudice. Whereas some media reports, lay classifications, and historical notions of prejudice focus on a prejudiced type of person, more recent conceptualizations of prejudice explain it as a dimension with any given individual falling along a continuum from low to high. In the first taxometric research to assess attitudes, two studies used taxometric methods to explore whether explicit prejudice is best considered dimensional (i.e., differing in degree) or taxonic (i.e., differing in kind). In Study 1, 130 undergraduates ( M age = 19.2 years, ranging from 18 to 26) completed measures of explicit prejudice toward Muslims. These results largely supported a dimensional latent structure. In Study 2, 448 non-Hispanic participants ( M age = 46.2 years, ranging from 18 to 86) completed three measures of explicit prejudice toward Hispanics (modern racism, social distance, and negative traits) via the internet. Results were consistent with a dimensional latent structure. Implications for promoting intergroup relations are discussed.
Published Version
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