Course description
Most people reject hostile expressions of prejudice and are motivated to reduce bias in their judgment and behavior, but many groups continue to be marginalized and discriminated against in modern society. Targets of prejudice often experience interpersonal and institutional discrimination that undermines their psychological well-being and economic mobility. In this course, we critically examine the psychological processes that underpin conscious and unconscious forms of prejudice and stereotyping. We examine the effectiveness of various interventions for reducing bias, considering how and why many people fight back rather than self-improve when confronted with evidence of their own bias or that of others in society. Together we work to develop a scientific understanding of how modern forms of prejudice and discrimination operate in human relations and how to confront biases in the self and others.