Hijacking the self: Reducing prejudice by threatening social self needs

Jill E Gulker, Purdue University

Abstract

Three experiments tested the effects of threatening the social self in conjunction with self-linking on prejudice reduction. The Pilot Experiment demonstrated that threatening the social self was related to increased expressions of prejudice. It also demonstrated that expressing prejudice was a way in which the social self could be partially reaffirmed. The two subsequent experiments tested self-linking, or linking the self with an outgroup member, in conjunction with two separate threats to the social self, the threat to the need to belong (Experiment 1) and the threat to the need for assimilation (Experiment 2). These experiments revealed that self-linking was an effective way of reaffirming the social self. Additionally, these experiments revealed that threatened individuals who had the opportunity to reaffirm did not express increased prejudice, and in fact expressed less prejudice than non-threatened individuals. These findings suggest that threats to the social self combined with self-linking may be an effective way to improve intergroup relations.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Monteith, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Social psychology|Psychology

COinS