Association between Anti-prejudice Norm and Attitudes towards Minority Groups

Abstract

In this study we investigated the relationship between the anti-prejudice norm and the expression of attitudes towards minority groups. Participated 100 people who evaluated a list with 16 target groups of prejudice, answering two questions: indicate the groups that feel less prejudice; and which ones do you prefer. The results showed that there are different levels of prejudice depending on the target-group, with the women, blacks and people with disabilities being the most protected by the norm. A hierarchical analysis of clusters evidenced an organization of the groups, classified as naturalised, blamed, sexual and political minorities. The anti-prejudice norm and the attitudes presented a strong and positive relation (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). A multilevel logistic regression analysis showed that this relation was moderated by the type of group. These results contribute to the studies on the expression of prejudice, besides demonstrating the role of norms in the understanding of the phenomenon.