Question

Myers and Bishop set up groups of relatively prejudiced and unprejudiced high school students and asked them to respond both before and after discussion to issues involving racial attitudes. Results indicated that after discussion:____________________
a. both groups were more prejudiced
b. both groups were less prejudiced
c. the individuals who were relatively unprejudiced became even less prejudiced and the individuals who were relatively prejudiced became even more prejudiced
d. the individuals who were relatively unprejudiced became more prejudiced and the individuals who were relatively prejudiced became less prejudiced

Answer 1

Answer: C. the individuals who were relatively unprejudiced became even less prejudiced and the individuals who were relatively prejudiced became even more prejudiced.

Explanation: The scenario above could be explained using the risky or choice shift phenomenon which is a study which explains how decisions made by individuals when alone and when part of a group differs. The study shows that decisions made when individuals form part of a group often tends to be riskier than when such decision is made alone.

This is the reason why individuals who were relatively unprejudiced before the discussion became even less prejudiced after the discussion and the individuals who were relatively prejudiced before the discussion became even more prejudiced after the discussion.

This could be due to the fact that they want to be in line with other members or do not want to let them down. Or belief that shared risk decreases level of individual risk.