Blatant Prejudice Research Articles

Attitudes and prejudice towards immigration in rural and urban contexts in Spain

Introduction: For years now, Spain has been a country that receives immigration wherein different cultures coexist. The aim of this research is to examine the levels of attitudes, subtle and blatant prejudice, as well as their dimensions, from native people to immigrant people in urban and rural areas. Methodology: The scale adapted to the native population by Rueda and Navas is from Meertens and Pettigrew’s scales of subtle and blatant prejudice and the scale of attitudes towards immigration by León, Mira & Gómez. Results: The results obtained from the prejudice scale (α=.804) and attitudes scale (α=.672) demonstrate an appropriate level of internal consistency. Results reveal that people living in rural areas did not exhibit higher levels of prejudice (subtle and blatant) than people living in urban areas. Discussion: Furthermore, people living in rural areas did not exhibit higher levels of attitudes (equality principles and policies attitude) than people living in urban areas. Conclusions: Finally, people living in rural areas did not exhibit higher levels of attitudes (negative social distancing attitude) than people living in urban areas. The results obtained are discussed, referring to the previous literature.

Discriminatory, yet socially accepted? Targets’ perceptions of subtle and blatant expressions of ethno-racial prejudice

IntroductionExtant research has studied prejudice expressions mainly from the majority perspective. We examined whether prejudice expressions conceptualized as subtle (vs. blatant) are perceived differently by their targets.MethodsParticipants who self-identified as potential targets of ethno-racial or religious prejudice (e.g., anti-Muslim, anti-Asian, anti-Arab, anti-Slavic, and anti-Black prejudice), answered questions about verbal expressions of prejudice taken from the subtle and blatant prejudice scales in an online survey.ResultsItems of the subtle (vs. blatant) prejudice scale were rated as more socially accepted and less discriminatory, elicited less negative emotions, and were reported to be experienced more often. Subtle expressions of prejudice were not more familiar to participants than blatant ones. Remarkably, blatant prejudice expressions were also perceived as relatively socially accepted and subtle prejudices as relatively discriminatory, as indicated by mean ratings above the scale midpoint. Lower discrimination ratings of subtle (vs. blatant) prejudice expressions were mainly due to perceptions of expressions exaggerating cultural differences. Exploratory analyses indicate that participants who reported more (vs. less) frequent overall exposure to the prejudice expressions perceived subtle and blatant stimuli as similarly discriminatory. This finding is compatible with the idea that individuals factor their personal experiences with prejudice into their assessments of discrimination.DiscussionWe discuss implications for interventions, especially regarding the social acceptability of blatant prejudice and promoting awareness of the discriminatory impact of subtle prejudice.

The relationship between socio-cognitive skills and ethnic prejudice in preservice special education teachers

ABSTRACT The current cross-sectional study aimed to increase the knowledge about socio-cognitive skills of preservice special education teachers that may affect their ethnic prejudices. In particular, the purpose of the study was to analyze the mediating role of empathy dimensions in the relationship between affective theory of mind and blatant and subtle prejudices. Participants included 531 Italian preservice special education teachers (76.4% females and 22.4% males), with an average age of 34.79 (SD = 6.10). Data were collected during the 2020–2021 academic year and all participants were administered, via the Google Form, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale. Path analysis showed that perspective taking and empathic concern play mediating roles in the relationship between the ability to infer people’s feelings and blatant and subtle prejudices. In addition, direct relations from affective theory of mind to ethnic prejudice and from empathic abilities to ethnic prejudice were found. These findings suggest that affective theory of mind and empathy are two cognitive-social skills involved in the expression of prejudice. The limitations and implications of the study were discussed.

When Potential Allies and Targets Do (and Do Not) Confront Anti-Asian Prejudice: Reactions to Blatant and Subtle Prejudice During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Anti-Asian xenophobia has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, after U.S. political leaders promoted anti-Asian rhetoric from its start. Confronting prejudice interrupts future perpetration of such prejudice, but confronting prejudice can only occur to the extent actions are first attributed to prejudice. Bystanders may attribute less prejudice to speech about the "Chinese Virus" than to more blatant stereotype expression, for example, and therefore be less vehement in their confrontations. Across two studies, we examined the impact of anti-Asian prejudice type (blatant, subtle, or no prejudice) and bystander race/ethnicity (White or Asian American/Pacific Islander [AAPI]), on prejudice attribution, willingness to confront, actual confrontation, and confrontation vehemence. In the context of a hiring manager justifying rejection of a Chinese applicant, we predicted that blatant prejudice would be detected and confronted most willingly, and subtle prejudice more willingly than no prejudice, and that prejudice detection would mediate the relationship between prejudice type and willingness to confront. Further, we expected AAPI bystanders to detect anti-Asian prejudice more readily than White bystanders, but to confront at lower rates, with actual confrontations being more vehement following blatant (relative to subtle or no) prejudice. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 27 and the PROCESS v4.1 macro, controlling for potential confounds such as political orientation and individual-level prejudice (expressed or perceived). Results of both studies (n = 142 [Study 1], n = 274 [Study 2]) supported hypotheses, except in Study 1 bystanders exposed to subtle prejudice were no more willing to confront than no-prejudice controls. Results of exploratory analyses indicated that attribution to prejudice was the primary obstacle to confrontation following subtle prejudice, whereas action taking was the primary obstacle following blatant prejudice. This research underscores the need for interventions to increase detection of all forms of anti-Asian prejudice and to provide would-be confronters with effective confrontation tools.

Framing COVID‐19 as an existential threat predicts prejudice towards Chinese people via anxious arousal

AbstractWe tested the hypothesis that perceived existential threat stemming from COVID‐19 elicits anxious arousal, which can manifest in prejudice toward the perceived source of the threat (Chinese people). Americans (n = 474) were randomly assigned to a condition in which COVID‐19 was framed as a high existential threat to the United States or to a condition in which COVID‐19 was framed as a low existential threat to the United States. They then completed self‐report measures of anxious arousal as well as subtle and blatant prejudice towards Chinese people. As expected, participants in the high threat (vs. low threat) condition reported greater anxious arousal which, in turn, predicted greater subtle and blatant prejudice. The high threat (vs. low threat) condition also indirectly predicted greater subtle and blatant prejudice via greater anxious arousal. Results advance knowledge on the reactions people had to perceiving COVID‐19 as an existential threat during the early phase of the pandemic.

Validation of the subtle and blatant prejudice towards Bolivian immigrants scale in Argentina

Even though prejudice towards Bolivian immigrants is one of the main reasons for discrimination in Argentina, there is no valid measure to assess it. The aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of the subtle and blatant prejudice towards Bolivian immigrants scale. In addition, we tested correlations with right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, feelings towards Bolivian immigrants, and ideological self-placement. Data was collected through a convenience sample of 431 undergraduate students from Buenos Aires, with an age range from 18 to 45 years old (38.75% men and 61.25% women). Results showed adequate psychometric properties for the scale. Moreover, significant correlations between subtle and blatant prejudice and the other psychosocial variables tested were found. Implications of these findings are discussed.

The Role of Morality and Religiosity in Ethnic and Homophobic Prejudice Among Teachers

The role of moral disengagement strategies and religiosity related to ethnic and homophobic prejudice were investigated in a sample of 550 Italian secondary school teachers (76.4% female, age range: 20–70; M = 46.18) who completed the teachers’ attitudes towards the representation of homosexuality in film and television scale; the Italian version of the moral disengagement scale; the subtle and blatant prejudice scales; and three items to evaluate their religiosity. Evidence suggests that moral disengagement processes matter for subtle ethnic prejudice, but not for blatant ethnic prejudice or homophobic prejudice. Results based on a structural equation model show that teachers who are more prone to use moral disengagement mechanisms have higher levels of subtle ethnic prejudice, while teachers who are older and more religious have higher levels of homophobic prejudice. The results of a multiple group structural equation model showed that high versus low levels of religiosity among teachers did not moderate the strength of these associations. Theoretical and educational implications are discussed.

More Kindness, Less Prejudice against Immigrants? A Preliminary Study with Adolescents.

Prejudice against immigrants is a relevant research topic within social psychology. Researchers identified several individual variables affecting anti-immigrant prejudice, such as morality and personality. However, until now, prejudice has never been studied in relation to kindness, which might be a significant protective factor against prejudice. Based on Kohlberg's theory of moral judgement, four stage dimensions of kindness were identified, from egocentric to authentic kindness (i.e., a means for social progress and improvement). This study aims to explore the relationship between the four kindness dimensions and blatant and subtle prejudice against immigrants in adolescence, by also considering the moderating role of adolescents' sex. It involved 215 Italian participants (77% girls), who were asked to fill in a self-report questionnaire. Results showed that boys scored higher on egocentric kindness than girls, but no sex differences emerged for prejudice. Egocentric and extrinsically motivated kindness appeared to be risk factors for prejudice, whereas the most authentic form of kindness was a protective factor. In addition, adolescents' sex moderated the relationship between egocentric kindness and blatant prejudice, whereby this association was stronger for boys. The implications of these findings, the study's limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Developing Inclusivity from Within: Advancing Our Understanding of How Teachers’ Personality Characters Impact Ethnic Prejudice and Homophobic Attitudes

IntroductionUnderstanding how internal characteristics of teachers impact their teaching practices can shed light onto ways to promote inclusivity. Specifically, teachers’ personality traits and social anxiety could influence their acceptance of others, influencing student acceptance and achievement, yet minimal research has explored these relationships.MethodThe role of personality characteristics and social anxiety related to ethnic prejudices and homophobic attitudes were investigated in a sample of 551 Italian secondary school teachers (76% female, age range: 20–70; M = 46.20) using the teachers’ attitudes towards the representation of homosexuality in film and television scale, the big five questionnaire short form, the subtle and blatant prejudice scales, and the Social Phobia Inventory.ResultsThe first model suggested that higher levels of conscientiousness combine with lower levels of agreeableness and extraversion are related to blatant prejudice. As participant age increased, those with lower levels of agreeableness and higher levels of conscientiousness expressed subtle prejudice. Increased age combine with lower levels of agreeableness was also linked to negative attitudes towards lesbian and gay topics. Similar results were found in the second model, which included social anxiety; however, social anxiety was found to impact negative attitudes towards lesbian and gay topics only, while the effect of age towards subtle prejudice disappeared.ConclusionsPersonological characteristics such as personality and social anxiety were found to impact ones attitudes and acceptance towards ethnic groups and lesbian and gay populations.Policy ImplicationsOur findings highlight key areas of focus to help raise awareness and address socio-emotional through school supports, teacher trainings, and policy aimed at promoting inclusive education systems.

Blatant and subtle prejudice, and the role of teachers in conveying tolerance and respect for the Other

ABSTRACT In this paper, we discuss the role that teachers play in preventing the expression of blatant and subtle prejudice among students. Using a self-reported survey conducted in the south of France, we investigated the attitudes of 1,858 middle and high school students. Multivariate analyses show that when students see their teachers addressing issues about racism, discrimination and cultural diversity in the classroom, their attitudes of intolerance decrease. Nevertheless, mediation and moderation models highlight the existence of external factors, such as the parents’ educational attainment, that affect the students’ capacity to internalise their teachers’ discourse. Contrary to our expectations, the students’ level of trust in the education system has no significant influence on their perception of the effectiveness of teacher interventions.

Heteronormativity and the Justification of Gender Hierarchy: Investigating the Archival Data From 16 European Countries.

Within the framework of the System Justification Theory, this study tested on the archival data from 16 European countries the general hypothesis that homonegativity (HN), as an expression of gender binarism and heteronormativity, works as a legitimizing myth of gender hierarchy. Specifically, we hypothesized that (1) system justification (SJ) would positively relate to HN and (2) this relation would depend on the country level of gender hierarchy, (3) on the gender of respondents, and (4) on the interaction between gender hierarchy and gender. We selected the Gender Equality Index (GEI) as an indicator of the gender hierarchy of the country system and the items from the European Social Survey-Round 9 (ESS-9) as the indicators of the gender of respondents and the levels of SJ and HN. The Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) partially confirmed the hypotheses, suggesting HN to work as a blatant prejudice and being more viable as a legitimizing myth in females from countries with higher gender hierarchy and in males from more gender-equal countries. In both cases, HN serves as a myth to justify the ontological premise of participants that the world is fair and to counteract the cognitive dissonance generated by the perception of a gender-unequal system (in the case of a woman) or by the perception of a gender-equal system that can threaten gender privileges (in the case of a man).

Perception of threat as a mediator of the relationship between stereotypes and prejudice towards Venezuelan migrants in Peru

Objectives: The present study aims to explore the relationship between stereotypes (morality, warmth, and competence) and prejudice (subtle and blatant) towards Venezuelan immigrants in Peru. In addition, the role of threat perception as a mediator in the relationship between stereotypes and prejudice towards this social group is analyzed. Method: A correlational research design was conducted, using the Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale, the National Stereotypes Scale, and the Out-Group Threat Perception Scale. The sample consisted of 115 participants of Peruvian nationality between 18 and 60 years old (M = 29.6; SD = 11.77). Results: The results confirm the inverse relationship between positive representation and ambivalent prejudice. In other words, when Venezuelans are represented as more competent, warm and moral, there are fewer expressions of subtle and blatant prejudice towards this social group. The regression coefficient of the relationships between stereotypes and prejudice tends to decrease when perceived threat is incorporated as a mediating variable in the partial mediation model. Conclusions: The relationships between the studied variables are confirmed. Furthermore, their importance for the implementation of interventions that promote intergroup contact, social inclusion, and questioning of social agents that reinforce a threatening representation of the Latin American immigrant is discussed.

Empathy and the ability to experience one's own emotions modify the expression of blatant and subtle prejudice among young male adults

Prejudices can lead to discrimination, social exclusion, and violence particularly among young male adults. Previous findings suggest that the degree of holding prejudices is linked to low levels of empathy, while low levels of empathy have been associated with alexithymia, the inability to experience one's own feelings. We tested the hypothesis that the impact of a lack of empathy on reporting blatant and subtle prejudices is moderated by the inability to identify one's own feelings. In a sample of n = 136 young male adults aged 21 years (mean = 21.5 years; sd = 0.3), we conducted correlation and moderator analyses to determine possible relationships between prejudices, empathy, and alexithymia as assessed by self-report questionnaires. Prejudices were assessed by the Blatant and Subtle Prejudice Scale (BSPS), empathy was assessed by the German modified version of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), and alexithymia by the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Self-reported empathy levels were correlated with the strength of subtle and blatant prejudices. The moderation analyses revealed that the negative association between empathy and subtle prejudice increased with decreasing alexithymia. The negative association between empathy and blatant prejudice, on the other hand, was significant only for participants with low levels of alexithymia. These results suggest that empathy can limit the expression of blatant and to some degree also subtle prejudice when subjects are capable to identify their own feelings in a group of young males.

Measuring implicit mental representations related to ethnic stereotypes with ERPs: An exploratory study

The present investigation used ERPs to detect the activation of implicit stereotypical representations associated to different ethnic groups, by means of an implicit paradigm.285 sentences were presented to 20 Italian Caucasian participants while EEG signals were recorded from 128 scalp sites. Sentences could either violate (Incongruent condition), non-violate (Congruent condition) or be neutral (Neutral condition) with regard to stereotypical concepts concerning non-Caucasian ethnic groups (e.g. Asians, Africans, Arabs). No awareness or judgment about stereotypes was required. Participants were engaged in a fictitious task, ignoring the overall study's purpose.The results showed that Incongruent terminal words elicited a greater anterior N400 response (300–500 ms) compared to Congruent and Neutral words, reflecting a difficulty in integrating the information incongruent with pre-existing stereotypical knowledge. The participant's individual amplitude values of the N400-Difference Wave (Incongruent – Congruent), showed a direct correlation with the individual racism scores obtained at the Subtle and Blatant Prejudice Scale, administered at the end of the experimental session.Intra-cortical sources explaining the N400 involved areas of the social cognition network such as the medial frontal cortex (BA10) and the inferior temporal gyrus (BA20) which are known to support processing of information about other people and impression formation. Moreover, Congruent terminal words evoked a greater P300 response (500–600 ms) compared to the other conditions, possibly reflecting the merging of incoming inputs with anticipated semantic information. A late post-N400 frontal positivity (650–800 ms) was found to be larger to sentences concerning other-race characters (ether congruent or incongruent) compared to sentences involving own-race characters (neutral).The study corroborated the effectiveness of neurophysiological measures to assess implicit complex semantic representations and circumventing social desirability-related problems.

Дегуманизация: подходы к оценке непрямых предубеждений

Objective. The presented review aims to describe and critically analyze the two most popular approaches to understanding and operationalizing the concepts of “humanity” and “dehumanization” (Infrahumanization theory and Two-dimensional model of humanness). Background. The studies of prejudice has identified two key problems. The first problem is associated with the limitations of existing theories in understanding the nature of prejudices, and the second — with a low efficiency of assessing blatant prejudice since an increasing spread of egalitarian attitudes in the world changes the intergroup relations and contributes to a transformation of explicit prejudices into indirect forms. The theories and models of dehumanization has become the response to these problems since they offer a new conceptual framework for the analysis of intergroup and interpersonal relationships, and new methods for assessing indirect prejudice that are independent of a social desirability. Conclusions. The results of a theoretical analysis showed that in psychological studies, “humanity” is operationalized either through the unique human emotions and traits, the negation of which leads to the association between certain individuals or groups with animals and the emergence of animalistic dehumanization, or through a description of the “human” prototype, the discrepancy to which is associated with mechanistic dehumanization. Animalistic dehumanization is more common in the context of intergroup relations, and mechanistic dehumanization is more related to the processes of self-perception. Despite the contradictions between different approaches to understanding humanity and dehumanization, as well as some methodological problems within each of them, dehumanization is recognized as an important phenomenon which significantly enriches psychological knowledge and understanding of a process of social cognition and interaction.

Prejudiced Attitudes of Nursing Students in Southern Spain Toward Migrant Patients.

The increase in the migrant population in Spain has transformed the cultural profile of public health care users. The purpose of this study is to recognize the subtle and blatant prejudices nursing students have toward migrant patients. An ex post facto descriptive study, using a transversal design (N = 1,393). Males showed a higher degree of prejudice (p < .05). Students in their first year have more subtle prejudices than those in their fourth year (p < .005). Blatant prejudice increases from the first year to the fourth year of the degree program (p < .05). Regarding context, there were differences found between subtle and blatant prejudice (both, p < .05), as students in areas with high migratory pressure showed more prejudiced attitudes toward migrant patients. Students display subtle prejudices, which is why education in culturally congruent health care must be integrated across all levels of nursing education, with the objective of diminishing prejudice against the migrant population.

Traditional Male Role Norms and Sexual Prejudice in Sport Organizations: A Focus on Italian Sport Directors and Coaches

Despite the common belief that sport is an excellent instrument to promote social inclusion, distal minority stressors, such as homophobic slurs and insulting or degrading comments, are frequently reported in sport contexts. The aim of this contribution was to expand previous knowledge on negative attitudes toward sexual minorities (gay and lesbian people) in sport-related contexts, by examining how staff employed in organizational sport contexts scored on three different dimensions of sexual prejudice toward sexual minority athletes: open rejection (i.e., blatant prejudice), denial of visibility (i.e., negative attitudes toward the coming out), and gendering performance (i.e., gender stereotypes about sport performance and skills). Furthermore, we examined the relationship between traditional norms of masculinity and dimensions of sexual prejudice. The sample consisted of 178 Italian sport directors and coaches who were asked to complete an online survey (70 women and 108 men, mostly aged from 38 to 65 years old). A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that participants scored higher on denial of visibility, with respect to open rejection and gendering performance, independently of gender and sport role. The structural equation model showed that endorsing traditional male role norms was significantly associated with open rejection and gendering performance, whereas no significant association was found with denial of visibility. The findings provide further evidence that sexual prejudice is prevalent in sport organizations, supporting the importance of raising awareness among sports personnel about prejudiced beliefs that may lead minority people to experience severe stress-inducing situations.

Τυφλός και εποικοδομητικός πατριωτισμός, συλλογικός ναρκισσισμός και επιθετικότητα ενάντια σε εξω-ομάδες

The present study examines the effects of different forms of national attachment – namely blind patriotism (unquestioned attachment to one’s country), constructive patriotism (critical approach to in-group practices for the improvement of the country, Schatz, Staub, &amp; Lavine, 1999), and collective narcissism (unrealistic beliefs about the in-group’s “greatness”, Golec de Zavala, Cichocka, Eidelson, &amp; Jayawickreme, 2009) – on support for aggressive acts against low (immigrants) and high status (Germans) out-groups, using data collected from a sample of 124 Greek men and women. Results showed that collective narcissism had indirect effects on support for aggressive acts against both immigrants and Germans, through its effects on blatant and subtle prejudice (Pettigrew &amp; Meertens, 1995). Blind patriotism had both direct and indirect effects (through blatant prejudice) on support for aggressive acts against immigrants only, while constructive patriotism had a direct negative effect on support for aggressive acts against Germans only. The discussion focuses on how these different forms ofnational attachment affect intergroup relations, depending on out-group status.

Longing is in the memory of the beholder: Collective nostalgia content determines the method members will support to make their group great again

Across four studies, we tested whether the content of collective nostalgia has untapped utility for understanding intergroup relations. In Study 1a, we demonstrated variance in the content of the nostalgizing American Christians report—variance that influenced attitudes towards outgroups. Participants who reported longing for a more open society expressed less anti-immigration sentiments and less blatant prejudice against Muslims compared to those longing for a more homogeneous society. In Study 1b, we replicated these results using a representative sample of Poles, thus extending them to a different socio-political context. In Study 2, we demonstrated that the content of collective nostalgia experienced can be experimentally manipulated. Specifically, experimentally primed openness-focused nostalgia (relative to a control condition) weakened American Christians' anti-immigration sentiments (but not blatant prejudice against Muslims). Study 3 replicated the results of Study 2 with an improved experimental manipulation. Overall, the findings show significant effects that content of collective nostalgia has on anti-immigration sentiments as well as some indication that the content of collective nostalgia influences blatant intergroup prejudice. These results have theoretical relevance for the study of collective nostalgia (i.e., content matters) as well as practical relevance in demonstrating that variations in nostalgia-inducing rhetoric can shape intergroup attitudes.

The Relation of Child’s Empathy and Parents’ Prejudice: The Mediating Role of Parenting Style

This research presented the relationship between a child’s empathy and parents’ prejudice, which was mediated by parenting style. The purpose of this research was to determine whether parenting style could be a mediator between parents’ prejudice and child’s empathy and also what type of parenting style would be appropriate to increase empathy in children. The research respondents consisted of 233 parents who had children aged 6-8 years old and were measured using the Basic Empathy Scale-Parent Report (BES-PR), the Blatant Prejudice Scale, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire-Revised (PAQ-R). The data obtained were processed using Pearson correlation and multiple regression (Hayes process). The results show that parenting style can be a mediator between child’s empathy and parents’ prejudice. The parenting style that can increase empathy in children is authoritative parenting. It means that when parents have a low prejudice, they tend to apply authoritative parenting, and this has an effect on increasing empathy in children.