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ABSTRACTThis paper examines how prejudice biases an evaluation outcome. We also show that referring to past data, which leads to prejudice, can provide a better estimator for the quality of the object under evaluation, even if biased, in the sense that it reduces the mean squared error. However, in cases in which the quality of the evaluation depends on the referee's effort, as well as on his ability, prejudice aggravates the evaluation outcome by dampening his refereeing efforts, thus possibly yielding a worse estimator than no prejudice even in terms of the mean squared error. If evaluators possess prejudice, an individual's performance in the earlier stage of his career becomes more important, at least in the short run, thus creating an incentive to work harder in the earlier stage than in the later stage. This may provide an alternative explanation for cut‐throat competition in the earlier stage to the traditional signaling argument.

The authors propose that the nature of prejudice differs across cultures. A model is introduced that proposes that the interpersonal perspective associated with individualist cultures (Westerners) leads to interpersonal prejudices, whereas the intergroup perspective associated with collectivist cultures (Easterners) leads to intergroup prejudices. These prejudices, in turn, are argued to impact on the outcomes of individuals working in intercultural teams. An organisational diversity climate of openness fostered by diversity oriented HRM and the combined use of individualist and collectivist HRM policies and practices is proposed to minimize the negative effects of such prejudices can be minimized.

According to recent theorizing in social psychology, social behavior is controlled not only by reflective, but also by impulsive systems. The latter are based on associative links that may influence behavior without intent. The current study examined how prejudiced implicit associations affect physiological and automatic behavioral responses. Our native Dutch participants were immersed in a virtual environment in which they encountered virtual persons (avatars) with either White or Moroccan facial features. In line with our predictions, participants maintained more distance and showed an increase in skin conductance level when approaching Moroccan avatars as opposed to White avatars. Participants' implicit negative associations with Moroccans moderated both effects. Moreover, evidence was found that the relation between implicit prejudice and distance effects was fully mediated by skin conductance level effects. These data demonstrate how prejudiced implicit associations may unintentionally lead to impulsive discriminatory responses.

Ghanem reviews 'Communicating Prejudice' edited by Michael L. Hecht.

A description of some of the psychol'al att's that create prejudice. 'Prejudice may be defined as a bias or leaning of feeling, favorable or unfavorable, in regard to categories of objects of perception prior to testing the reality or validity of such a feeling.' To accept attitude change, & to overcome fear & hate of unknown objects, the child has to be sure that the parent figure who introduces the new object is a good & safe person. The protective function of these phobias or prejudices lies 'in their enabling the subject to release some of the unconscious ambivalence against a substitute for the original target-object of his hate or fear, while also avoiding the catastrophic implications of becoming aware of these feelings against the original object - say his father or mother. Displaced or transferred feelings are the essential psychol'al dynamisms in xenophobia & other forms of ethnic prejudice. Another common feature is the felt threat of being coerced or overcome by fiercer or more subtle or just stronger people, with the implied sense of one's own honest simplicity or weakness, often camouflaged by an assumption of rugged individualism & patriotic chauvinism. The 2nd main category of motives for ethnic prejudice rests on the projection of one's own rejected but still active instinctual desires to the object of prejudice. 'The `stranger' is the symbol of those parts of one from which repression & guilt feelings have alienated one.' The typical prejudiced person 'is an emotionally insecure person. His or her relationship to home background was such as to induce marked conflict in the sphere of aggression vs submission to parent figures.' E. Weiman.