社会本质主义对偏见的影响及其机制

Effects of social essentialism on prejudice and its mechanisms

社会本质主义是关于社会类别的直觉理论,是对社会类别差异的一种生物性归因。大量研究显示社会本质主义助长了种族、性别与阶层偏见,但也可以减少对肥胖、同性恋与罪犯的偏见。在种族、性别与阶层等被强加的社会类别中,稳定性线索强,社会本质主义导致人们认为该社会类别下的群体之间的差异难以改变,折扣环境解释,进而促进偏见;在肥胖、同性恋与罪犯等个体选择的社会类别中,可控性线索强,社会本质主义导致人们认为该社会类别下的一些群体成员的污名身份是不可控的,折扣个体选择的解释,进而减少偏见。未来研究应关注导致不同后果的社会本质主义信念产生和发展的过程,在此基础上开发出系统、持续、有效的干预措施,为消除偏见,减少群际冲突,推进和谐社会建设提供科学心理学方案。

Social essentialism is an intuitive theory about social categories.It implies that members of one social category share unobservable intrinsic characteristics that determine their membership and generate observable similarities between them.There are numerous studies showing that social essentialism contributes to prejudice based on race,gender,and class.but also reduces prejudice against obesity,homosexuality and criminals.In forced social categories where stability cues are strong(e.g.race,gender,and class),social essentialism leads people to believe that differences between groups are hard to change,thus increasing prejudice by discounting environmental explanations.In chosen social categories where controllability cues are strong(e.g.obesity,homosexuality,criminals),social essentialism leads people to believe that the stigmatized identities of some group members are uncontrollable,thus reducing prejudice by discounting chosen explanations.For future research,it would be useful to examine how social essentialist beliefs emerge,develop and ultimately lead to different outcomes,and from there,to develop systematic,sustained,and effective interventions aimed at eliminating prejudice and promoting harmony within society using scientific psychological solutions.