Chronic targets of prejudice develop vigilance and deep distrust of the dominant group.

Evidence

Contemporary scholars question Allport’s assumption that chronic targets of prejudice are “hypersensitive” to prejudice, and suggest instead that targets often minimize or deny the extent to which they are targets of prejudice (see Major, Quinton, & Schmader, 2002, for a review). Consistent with this latter view, many studies find that women and ethnic minorities see less discrimination directed against themselves personally than they do against members of their group (e.g., Crosby, 1984). This discrepancy is reliable across a variety of groups (see Taylor, Wright, & Porter, 1994, for a review). Women and ethnic minorities also often have difficulty recalling times when they were targets of prejudice (Stangor et al., 2003), avoid labeling negative treatment as discrimination, even when the treatment legally qualifies as such (Magley, Hulin, Fitzgerald, & DeNardo, 1999), and fail to recognize when they are interacting with a highly prejudiced (vs. low-prejudiced) partner, even though they feel greater discomfort when interacting with the former (Vorauer & Kumhyr, 2001). Furthermore, when placed in similar situations (e.g., rejection by an outgroup under ambiguous circumstances), members of stigmatized groups are no more likely than members of nonstigmatized groups to attribute their rejection to prejudice (Major, Quinton, & McCoy, 2002). Collectively, these findings are inconsistent with Allport’s claim that targets of prejudice are hypersensitive to prejudice directed against themselves. — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 945 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Targets of prejudice deploy many protective strategies, not just self-hatred — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 1043; Chronic targets of prejudice minimize rather than exaggerate their own victimization — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty Years…, 945; Stigmatized groups sometimes show heightened sensitivity to subtle prejudice cues — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 946 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Chronic targets of prejudice minimize rather than exaggerate their own victimization #complicates (0.85) — John F. Dovidio, Peter Glick, Laurie A. Rudman, On the Nature of Prejudice, 945
• Vigilance is performative distrust that coexists with deep general trust #complicates (0.80)