people have a tendency to accept information that fits with their hunches or preconceptions, and that attention is easily grabbed by startling, novel, or alarming information.
Group conflict theory offers an explanation for negative attitudes towards racial integration and efforts to promote diversity-the majority group perceives the minority group(s) to be in competition with the majority group for resources, power, and prestige. This theory also helps to explain patterns of discrimination. For example, cross-cultural studies show that escalation in violence between groups is linked to shortages in resources. Then groups may attempt to remove the source of competition by limiting the opportunities of the outgroup (eg through active discrimination) or by decreasing their proximity to the outgroup (e.g. by denying immigrant access).
Are blue or brown eyes better?
Some 8-year-old children were invited by their teacher (Jane Elljott) to take part in an exercise that would help them better understand racism. She told them that those with brown eyes were more intelligent and 'better' people than those with blue eyes. She then gave the 'brownies' special privileges such as extra helpings at lunch and extra play time, and denigrated the 'blueys' by saying that they were less intelligent, dirty, shifty, and lazy. Blueys were made to wear a special collar so they could be easily identified. Behaviour in both groups changed: the blueys showed signs of lowered self-esteem and depressed mood, and did less well in their work, while the brownies became critical and oppressive towards their 'inferiors'. After a few days, the teacher said that she had made a mistake.. and the blueys were in fact the superior ones, and the behaviour patterns reversed (although to a lesser degree).
Of course, the exercise and its real aim were fully explained to the children once the study was over.
Experiments have shown that social facilitation can be produced by simply telling the person that others are performing the same task elsewhere. Hence, your motivation to study may be increased by hearing that a classmate is already hard at it. Social facilitation has been demonstrated in animals too-even cockroaches run faster when they are being watched by their peers!