In terms of explicit prejudice, the aftermath of the Holocaust and the subsequent development of psychological theories of prejudice demonstrate the importance of social pressure in deterring explicit prejudices. Explicit prejudice is essentially the blatant expression of implicit prejudices, because all explicit behaviors ultimately have their root in implicit attitudes and ideologies. By increasing social pressure against explicit examples of prejudice, it becomes easier to confront the implicit prejudices which underlie them, because these implicit prejudices are all that is left.
However, reducing the exhibition of implicit prejudices is far more complicated, because by definition they are frequently shielded from view, and only become visible upon close and careful examination (for example with the assistance of the Implicit Association Test). Thus, the most important strategies for reducing implicit prejudices requires making those implicit prejudices explicit. For example, the Implicit Association Test can provide a starting point for individuals to acknowledge and confront their implicit prejudices, because it can reveal in relatively simple terms the extent of attitudes that most people are unaware of, even when they inform their actions on a regular basis. Furthermore, highlighting the effects of implicit prejudices on society and individuals can encourage individuals...
As such, the work performed by this brief study can actually contribute to efforts to reduce racial and ethnic prejudice, because acknowledging and understanding the phenomenon is the first step towards doing away with it.
References
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