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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The social psychological literature considers two main perspectives on the study of perceived cultural
differences between majorities and minorities: one proposes that perception of cultural differences is an
antecedent of prejudice and another states that the attribution of cultural differences to minorities is already a
hidden expression of racial prejudice. This paper offers further support to this latter perspective. One hundred
and ninety-four participants answered a questionnaire measuring (1) general racist belief; (2) cultural differences
attributed to Black people (hetero-ethnicization); (3) the asymmetric attribution of secondary and primary
emotions to the in-group and to Black people (infra-humanization); (4) the asymmetric attribution of natural and
cultural traits to in-group members and to Black people (ontologization); and (5) negative evaluation of this social
category. The general racist belief scale was not anchored in a specific group and measured the belief in the
inferiority of certain social groups or peoples based on biological or cultural factors. Relationships between the
scales were analysed through a set of Structural Equation Models. According to the predictions, results showed
that the attribution of cultural differences is a dimension of prejudice. Results also showed that attribution of
cultural differences, negative evaluation of Black people, ontologization, and infra-humanization were different
dimensions of a common latent factor that can be identified as racial prejudice; and that prejudice was predicted
by general racist belief. Results are discussed in the light of the study of the impact of perceived cultural
differences on intergroup relations and in the light of the ‘‘new racism’’ approaches.
Description
Keywords
Racismo Preconceito
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Vala, J., Pereira, Cícero, Costa-Lopes, R. (2009). Is the Attribution of Cultural Differences to Minorities an Expression of Racial Prejudice? International Journal of Psychology Vol. 44, 1, 20-28