Prejudice Is A Basic Human Need

Friday, December 30, 2011 - 00:00 in Psychology & Sociology

Prejudice is just bigotry that arises from flawed ideology, right?  Not so, say the authors of a new paper.They contend prejudice stems from a deeper psychological need and it is associated with a particular way of thinking. People who aren't comfortable with ambiguity and want to make quick and firm decisions are also prone to making generalizations about others. People who are prejudiced feel a much stronger need to make quick and firm judgments and decisions in order to reduce ambiguity. And, they argue, it's virtually impossible to change this basic way that people think. read more

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