Psych of Prejudice & Stereotyping

Fall 2022 | MW 2:45-4PM

Social group membership—based on race and ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, sex, gender and gender identity, etc. and their intersection—can profoundly influence one’s experience of the world and each other. Through this course we will cover the basic experimental social psychology research on thoughts and beliefs (stereotypes), evaluative attitudes (prejudice), and behaviors (discrimination) that are based on group membership. The ultimate aim of this course is to enhance your ability to (1) evaluate and analyze the scientific merit of this research and (2) apply this research to real world social issues—e.g., what are implicit stereotypes and how do they relate to police violence against African Americans? How effective are different approaches to reducing prejudice in the real world?

Textbook

The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination (Kite & Whitley, 2016, 3rd ed.); access options:

• Course reserve

• Canvas > Library Reserves

• Buy/rent from The Cornell Store

• Borrow a book from me during office hours

• The first two chapters can be downloaded here

  Additional required reading and content found here

CANVAS WEBSITE

The course Canvas site will be used to post lecture slides and recordings, review sheets, course announcements, the RWAR assignment and rubric, and student grades, and to provide an opportunity for online discussion of the weekly topics. Log in and you should see this course. If you do not, please let one of the TAs know immediately.

inclusivity and respect

We expect everyone in this course to help contribute to an inclusive, respectful, and constructive class environment. In this course we will explore a variety of socially sensitive topics (e.g., we will consider and evaluate how specific group memberships influence psychological processes and what it means to be a minority versus a majority group member). We will engage these topics directly, but respectfully, to explore important psychological mechanisms that underlie stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Consequently, this course may be emotionally challenging at times. It will require an ability to listen and think, and to engage in a civil fashion. When we discuss challenging topics, you should keep in mind that we live in a complex world with a variety of lived experiences, and that we can learn something from anyone’s perspective if it can be shared without degrading, harassing, or silencing others. 

inclusivity statement

We understand that the students in this class represent a rich variety of backgrounds and perspectives. We are committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity. While working together to build this community we ask that all members: 

• share their unique experiences, values and beliefs, if comfortable 

• be open to the views of others 

• honor the uniqueness of their colleagues 

• appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other in this community 

• value each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner 

• keep confidential discussions that the community has of a personal nature 

• use this opportunity together to discuss ways in which we can create an inclusive environment in this course and across the Cornell community

1. Participation (15% of grade)

I aim to provide a thoughtful and respectful space to encourage your active participation during
class – for which you can earn participation points. However, speaking in front of your peers
does not come easily for everyone and these topics are not always easy to discuss so your
participation grade can also reflect other forms of engagement with the material if you do not
feel comfortable speaking in class.
You need 15 “participation points” throughout the semester to earn the highest possible
participation grade – each will count as 1% toward your final grade. Below are some ways you
can earn points:

• Attend office hours (1x = 1 point)

• Ask or answer a question on the discussion forum (1 post = 1 point)

• Participate in an in-class activity/poll (1 class = 1 point; expect about 15 of these)

• Contribute to class discussion, ask a question in class, etc. (1 day = 1 point)

This list isn’t exhaustive, and I encourage you to find creative ways to participate.

2. Real world analysis reports (rwar; 35% of grade)

One goal of this course is to encourage you to apply the information you learn to important real-world issues. Consequently, a major component of the course involves the analysis of a real- world event and/or issue for which stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination may be relevant. You can choose any issue and should pick a topic that is meaningful to you, as you will be thinking and writing about it for the entire semester! E.g., you might examine the psychological issues and processes underlying:

• Police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement

• Support for or opposition to same-sex marriage

• Public policy positions regarding poverty/homelessness

• Tension among racial, gender, age, and/or religious groups at Cornell or in Ithaca

In two short papers (~1000 words each), you will report on how our readings and discussion shed light on the issue that you are evaluating. You are to look for ways to integrate theories and research discussed in class and in the book to better understand the topic you are examining. Each report must include information from the literature we are currently reading and should be completed individually. See rubric here.

3. Exams (50% of grade)

Four in-class exams will be held. The top scores of only three of these exams will be used to calculate your final grade (meaning that your lowest grade will be dropped). Exams will be part multiple choice and part long-answer format. Exams may cover any aspect of the assigned text or lecture material but are not cumulative.

Test questions will aim to assess your understanding of the material and ability to apply it to new situations, rather than focusing on the memorization of facts or terms. Exams will cover both lecture and reading (with an emphasis on material that overlaps between the two). A list of the concepts covered each day will appear at the end of each set of lecture slides and a review sheet listing all concepts covered for the exam period will be posted on canvas a week in advance of the exam. A good strategy to study for exams is to review these resources sheet each week and make notes on the relevant concepts from lecture and readings and to ask questions as they arise. See below for our policy on missed exams.

If a class is cancelled due to weather, my illness, or another unforeseen event, you will NOT be responsible for any lecture content we are unable to present.

Extra Credit. Your grade can be improved with extra credit! One SONA point corresponds to 30 minutes of participation, and you can complete up to 4 SONA points (2 hours) for extra credit in this course. Each SONA point you receive will earn you a 0.5% bump to your final grade (i.e., if you complete the maximum 4 points, you will receive an extra 2% toward your grade which could move your final grade from an 86 to a 88 or a 70 to 72, for example). No other opportunities for extra credit exist. See the SONA website for signup instructions and a list of experiments. Participation is entirely optional, and your grade cannot suffer in any way by your choice not to participate.

Final Grade Calculation: Your final grade will be based on the Cornell University Grading System (see below). Your percentage grade will be transformed to a letter grade in accordance with the table below. In converting percentage grades to letter grades, any amounts less than 0.50 will be rounded down, and amounts equal to or greater than 0.50 will be rounded up. For example: 59.49 = F; and 59.50 = D-. The instructors reserve the right to adjust final marks up or down, on an individual basis, in the light of special circumstances.

Academic Integrity

Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Cornell University Code of Academic Integrity. Any work submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own work. You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in lecture and the sections with other students. You can give "consulting" help to or receive "consulting" help from such students. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in the form of an e-mail, an e-mail attachment file, a diskette, or a hard copy. Should copying occur, both the student who copied work from another student and the student who gave material to be copied will both automatically receive a zero for the assignment. Penalty for violation of this Code can also be extended to include failure of the course and University disciplinary action. During examinations and paper writing, you must do your own work. Talking or discussion is not permitted during the examinations, nor may you compare papers, copy from others, or collaborate in any way. Any collaborative behavior during the examinations will result in failure of the exam and may lead to failure of the course and University disciplinary action. 

Policy on late assignments

All assignments are due at the time/date outlined in the course schedule. However, we know that unforeseen complications can arise (especially during a pandemic!) – so you can take a one-time RWAR extension, no questions asked. Just email us to let us know you are taking the extension and when we can expect you to turn in your assignment (up to a week after the original deadline). Late reports beyond this “free pass” will incur a penalty of 10% of your paper grade for each day it is late (i.e., if you turn it in a day late, the best grade you can receive is a 90%), up to a maximum of 50% off. It is your responsibility to ensure the files you submit to canvas are readable after you submit them - replacing “corrupted” files will incur the late penalty. 

policy on alternate date/make-up exams

If there is a foreseeable circumstance that will prevent you from taking an exam on one of the scheduled dates (or you meet the criteria for an alternate date outlined in the exam guidelines of the school), you must make a request for an earlier exam date no later than one week before the scheduled exam. Make-ups for your first missed exam will not be administered because your grade is already calculated as the average of your three top grades out of four exams (i.e., there is a built in “miss”). If you miss more than one exam and have a written excuse FOR ALL missed exams, you should contact me to take a make-up for your second exam. Since we do not have a final for this class, make-ups will be held during our scheduled final exam slot: TBD. 

Questions about grades

If you have questions about a grade, you must contact us about it within one week of receiving the grade back. If you wait until the week before grades are due to talk to us about concerns you have about your performance in the class, it will be too late. 

Laptop Policy

If you have a laptop or tablet, you are more than welcome to bring it to class to take notes – just please be respectful of your classmates. Participation points will be docked if you appear excessively and inappropriately distracted/distracting to others or use your computer for non-academic purposes during class time.