Reference no: EM133080116 , Length: word count:2500

PE7026 Biological and Social Psychology - Northumbria University Newcastle

Assessment:

The issue of prejudice has been a concern of social psychologists for most of its recent history. Various theories have developed around why people are prejudiced and how prejudice can be reduced. This is not merely a theoretical issue because societies around the world find themselves needing to work with diverse groups of people; prejudice between individuals and groups consequently proves a major obstacle to constructive relations. In this assignment you should identify a social problem where prejudice plays a role, identify a theoretical explanation for why the prejudice exists, and devise a theoretically-grounded intervention to help to reduce this prejudice. You should also explain how you would assess if your intervention has been successful. This means the assignment is divided into 5 sections:

Part 1. Social problem. Identify the social problem you are addressing. For example, you could address the problem of prejudice towards schoolchildren of different nationalities in a classroom setting or you could address the problem of prejudice in residential areas towards people from different ethnic backgrounds. Obviously, racial prejudice is only one type of prejudice that you could look at.

• There needs to be a research literature on the topic
• Do not use your personal opinions or experiences
• You need to be able to substantiate the existence of the problem as recognised by the research literature (use peer-reviewed literature e.g., journal articles)
• Examples: sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, disablism, religious prejudice, ageism, etc., in various contexts e.g., war, criminal justice system, work place, interpersonal relations

Part 2. Theoretical explanation. Explain, drawing on social psychological theory, why the prejudice might exist. For example, how do identity threats predict prejudice? Are there problems associated with the groups having different levels of power or access to resources?

Part 3. Theoretically-grounded intervention. Explain, drawing on social psychological theory, an intervention that might work to reduce prejudice. An intervention means that you identify a variable you want to change (i.e. some aspect of prejudice) and seek to change that variable in some way. For example, you could choose to change explicit or implicit attitudes by having people engage in intergroup contact.

Part 4. Assessment of success. Identify how you would determine if your intervention has been successful. This is likely to be a measurement you take to indicate a reduction in prejudice or prejudicial behaviour but could potentially be a qualitative assessment by which people may change the way they talk about another group.

Part 5. Strengths and Limitations. In the final section you should identify why your proposed intervention would be a wise approach yet you should also discuss its limitations. These limitations can refer to, among other things, alternative theoretical positions that might approach the issue differently from the way you have tackled it, alternative methodological approaches, and potential side-effects of your intervention.

A successful answer should include the following:
- A clear definition of the problem to be addressed
- Clear links to theoretical perspectives within social psychology
- A theoretical foundation for the proposed mechanism of change
- A detailed description of the intervention
- Clearly specified measures that will be taken to assess the success of the intervention
- Understanding of the practical and theoretical strengths and weaknesses of the approach you have taken

Attachment:- Biological and Social Psychology.rar