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  • Essay / The role of psychology in eliminating hatred, prejudice and discrimination

    The concept of hatred, prejudice and discrimination has tormented societies for several decades. According to Tausch and Hewstone (2010), prejudice is the act of negative and unfavorable actions or attitudes towards a particular group of individuals based on less factual, incorrect and insufficient information about the individual or group to whom they are intended. Discrimination refers to actions or behaviors directed against a given group of individuals. In a broader sense, discrimination is the actual action that expresses a prejudicial attitude toward the identified group or individual. This short essay will attempt to assess the role psychology plays in reducing hatred, prejudice and discrimination. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Keen (2012) emphasizes that no particular society or nation is immune from acts of discrimination and prejudice, whether as perpetrator or victim. These acts date back to colonial periods, which led to the isolation of various groups of people and societies. It is also imperative that in order to overcome adversities caused by prejudice and discrimination, it is necessary to understand the effects of these vices on the individual victim and on society as a whole. Prejudice and discrimination have colossal effects in emotional, motivational, political, psychological and economic areas. These brutal effects, whether intentional or not, are compounded by outcomes such as loss of political power, loss of self-esteem, sense of alienation from society, and political inequalities in the public domain ( Sritharan and Gawronski, 2010). Victims of prejudice and discrimination often react in different ways. Some people succumb to feelings of withdrawal and depression, while others struggle with stereotypes. Those who will be motivated will be able to achieve their goals and also increase the amount of effort and energy in their activities. Motivation will determine whether they will fully complete the task, thereby improving their lives. Those who suffer from emotional loss may suffer from low motivation and therefore low morale in pursuing their goals, or even give up. Individuals who do not succumb to the acts still take advantage of the negative nature of stereotypes and use them as motivators to change the perceptions of the perpetrators. This clearly indicates how emotion and motivation can influence an individual's behavior. Social prejudice and discrimination have considerable negative effects on the well-being of society and often thwart the mutual coexistence of diverse communities with varying cultural differences. Often, a group or individuals who feel like they are being mistreated or judged negatively based on these perceptions face difficulties in realizing their full potential in various aspects of life. As noted by Keen (2012), when a particular society is subjected to some form of harmful act or false beliefs, that specific community can suffer enormous negative effects on human rights, freedoms and fair treatment, particularly in terms of social facilities. For this reason, these people who face prejudice and discrimination often tend to limit themselves to acquiring new experiences that could promote their growth based on the opinions already formulated by the members of their group. This is consistent with research by Asch and Milgram, as we000024