People utilize many strategies to minimize their feelings of cognitive dissonance such as rationalization, denial, and minimization. For example, they might rationalize smoking by recognizing it is bad, but also noting they had a stressful week. In regard to stereotypic beliefs, individuals often experience feelings of cognitive dissonance. For example, a belief common among individuals in the United States is that our country is a meritocracy in which individuals get what they deserve based on their hard work (Crandall et al., 2001; Sears & Henry, 2003). This ingrained belief arouses dissonance when White individuals, for example, come across evidence to the contrary, showing that people of color do work hard but are still disproportionally lacking in positions of power and economic wealth in the United States. Not surprisingly, individuals utilize several strategies to minimize these feelings of dissonance and discomfort. By recognizing the feelings of discomfort and anxiety associated with cognitive dissonance, students can become more open to discussing stereotyping and prejudice. References: Aronson, E. (2012). The social animal (11th ed.) New York, NY: Worth. Carkenord, D. M. & Bullington, J. (1993). Bringing cognitive dissonance to the classroom. Teaching of Psychology, 20, 41-43. Crandall, C. S., D’Anello, S., Sakalli, N., Lazarus, E., Wieczorhowska, G., & Feather, N. T. (2001). An attribution-value model of prejudice: Anti-fat attitudes in six nations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 30-37. Sears, D. O., & Henry, P. J. (2003). The origins of symbolic racism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 259-275. Skillings, J. H., & Dobbins, J. E. (1991). Racism as a disease: Etiology and treatment implications. Journal of Counseling & Development, 70, 206-212. Attitude Survey Please indicate whether or not you agree with the statements below by circling the appropriate answer: Texting while driving is dangerous. Yes No It is important to stay informed about proposed legislation that affects my community. Yes No
Is the number of dominant groups represented in the media related to social privileges? Why or why not? Entertainment Personality Sample Completed Worksheet Men Women Lead Role Supporting Role Role Models White Brad Pitt, James Franco, Nicolas Cage, Liam Neeson, George Clooney, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Fallon Anne Hathaway, Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Hilary Swank, Hillary Clinton, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Daniel Craig (James Bond), Ben Affleck (Argo), Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Tom Hanks (Forest Gump), Leonardo Di Caprio (Titanic) Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained), Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman), Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings), Kate Winslet (Titanic), Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind), Cate Blanchett (The Aviator) Hillary Clinton, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson, Neil Armstrong, Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Black Samuel L. Jackson, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy, Denzel Washington, Chris Rock, Don Cheadle, Dave Chapelle, Cuba Gooding Jr., Wesley Beyonce, Wanda Sykes, Halle Berry, Kerri Washington, Oprah, Queen Latifah, Raven Symone, Quvenzhane Wallis, Tyra Banks, Whoopi Will Smith (Independence Day), Raven Symone (That's So Raven). LeVar Burton (Roots), Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanada), Denzel Washington (Malcom X), Jamie Foxx Octavia Spencer (The Help), Queen Latifah(Chicago), Jennifer Hudson (Dream Girls), Mo'Nique (Precious), Eddie Murphy (Dream Girls), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), Micheal Obama, Oprah, Beyonce, Will Smith, Jay Z, Condoleezza Rice, Dr. Mae Jemison, Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King Jr, Alberta
Phoenix, Carlos Santana, John Leguizamo, Hector Elizondo, Marc Anthony Ferrera, Daisy Fuentez, Shakira Native American Benjamin Bratt, Branscombe Richmond, Taylor Lautner, August Schellenberg, Rudy Youngblood Wes Studi Michelle Latimer, Kaniehtiio Horn, Q'orianka Kilcher, Shauna Baker, Karina Lombard, Irene Bedard Irene Bedard (Voice of Pocahontas, Smoke Signals) Eric Schweig (The Big Eden) Karina Lombard, Irene Bedard, Rudy Youngblood, Wes Studi LGBT Neil Patrick Harris, Boy George, Anderson Cooper, Alan Cumming, Elton John, Ian McKellen, George Micheal, Graham Norton, Ricky Martin, Adam Lambert Ellen Degeneres, Wanda Sykes, Rachel Maddow, Melissa Etheridge, KD Lang, Jane Lynch, Suze Orman, Portia deRossi, Cynthia Nixon, Rosie O’Donnell, Angelina Jolie, Jodie Foster Ellen (Ellen Degeneres Show), Rachel Maddow (Rachel Maddow Show), Anderson Cooper (AC 360), Suze Orman (Suze Orman Show), Neil Patrick Harris (Smurfs), Ian McKellen (The Hobbit), Lindsay Lohan (Freaky Friday) Wanda Sykes (The New Adventures of Old Christine), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Jane Lynch (Glee, Wreck-It Ralph), Ian McKellen (The Da Vinci Code) Ellen Degeneres, Anderson Cooper, Ian McKellen, Rachel Maddow Disabled Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, Steven Hawking, Lou Ferigno Marlee Matlin, Lauren Potter Marlee Matlin (Children of a Lesser God) Lauren Potter (Glee) Marlee Matlin, Steven Hawking, Michael J. Fox
Ito, T. A., & Urland, G. R. (2003). Race and gender on the brain: Electrocortical measures of attention to the race and gender of multiply categorizable individuals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85, 616-626. Kunda, Z., & Spencer, S. J. (2003). When do stereotypes come to mind and when do they color judgment? A goal-based theoretical framework for stereotype activation and application. Psychological Bulletin, 129, 522-544. Macrae, C. N., & Bodenhausen, G. (2000). Social cognition: Thinking categorically about others. Annual Review of Psychology, 51, 93-120. Stangor, C., Lynch, L., Changming, D., Glas, B. (1992). Categorization of individuals on the basis of multiple social features. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, Zebrowitz, L. A. (1996). Physical appearance as a basis of stereotyping. In C. N. Macrae, C. Stangor, & M. Hewstone (Eds.), Stereotypes and stereotyping (pp. 79-120). New York, NY: Guilford.
Version A Column A: Statements Column B: Possible Interpretations “You throw like a girl.” Feminine traits are undesirable. “Just ‘Google it’ when you get home.” Society knows what is right and you are wrong. “You are ‘trashy’ (or ‘ghetto’).” You don’t belong. “You are a credit to your race.” Being gay is unacceptable. “Everyone can succeed if they try hard enough.” Your sexual orientation is your most important characteristic. “That’s so gay.” You are not man enough. [To a girl] “Math is hard, isn’t it?” If you don’t have “the basics,” you must be lazy. “How long have you lived in our country?” Your culture is your most defining feature. “Being gay is just a phase.” You people are all the same. I see you as your skin color only. People of your background are unintelligent. You are lazy. You are not American.
Version B Column A: Statements Column B: Possible Interpretations “Don’t be such a sissy.” Feminine traits are undesirable. “Of course you have a bad relationship with your parents. You’re gay.” People with disabilities are less important, likeable or competent. “You speak English very well.” You don’t belong. “America is a melting pot.” Being gay is unacceptable. “I don’t see color.” Your sexual orientation is your most important characteristic. “I have Black friends, so what I say isn’t offensive.” You are not man enough. “Everyone knows Blacks are more likely to shoplift.” Your culture is your most defining feature. [A professor asks a Latina student in front of a class] “What do Latinas think about this situation?” People of your background are unintelligent. “That’s retarded.” You look like a criminal. I see you as your skin color only. You are not American. Module 11
1980: David McReynolds appears on the Socialist Party ballot, becoming the first openly gay individual to run for President of the United States. 1981: A lethal virus is noticed spreading through the gay community. It is first reported in the New York Times as a rare pneumonia and skin cancer and is initially referred to by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as gay-related immunodeficiency [disease] (GRID). When it is recognized that the virus is found in other populations, it is renamed the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 1982: The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force initiates a project aimed to counter the rise in violence related to homophobia in the United States. 1983: The first National Lesbians of Color Conference is organized in Los Angeles. 1984: After an eight-year legal battle Duncan Donovan, a Los Angeles gay activist, wins the right to receive the death benefits of his life partner. 1986: The United States Supreme Court ruling in Bower v. Hardwick upholds the right of each state to criminalize private same-sex acts. 1987: ACT UP is formed in order to protest inaction in response to the AIDS epidemic in the U.S. The Old Lesbians Organizing for Change (OLOC) is founded with the goal of fighting against ageism and for lesbian rights. 1988: The brochure Understanding AIDS is mailed by the CDC to every American household. The World Health Organization organizes the first World AIDS Day in attempts to spread awareness of the disease. 1992: Homosexuality is removed from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organization. 1993: The Department of Defense issues the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy; under this policy, applicants to the U.S. Armed Forces would not be asked about nor required to disclose their sexual orientation. 1996: In the case of Romer v. Evans, the United States Supreme Court rules that Colorado's second amendment, which denies gays and lesbians protections against discrimination, is unconstitutional. President Clinton signs the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) into law, which defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. 1998: Widow of the late Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, speaks out against homophobia in America, despite receiving criticism for comparing Black civil rights to gay rights. 1999: California adopts a domestic partner law, allowing same-sex couples equal rights, responsibilities, benefits, and protections as married couples.