Enduring prejudice reduction requires internal motivation, not just external pressure.

Evidence

As the study of prejudice and efforts to reduce it move forward, it is important to recognize that this type of external pressure can produce some counterintentional and counterproductive consequences. Such knowledge may prove useful in addressing perhaps the most enduring and difficult challenge faced by social scientists in the study of prejudice – namely, how to create internal motivation to be nonprejudiced. Without internal motivation, many of the processes explored in the “Inner Conflict” chapter are moot. It seems clear that merely applying pressure from outside encourages resistance to change. Future efforts to combat prejudice will need to strike a delicate balance between outer and inner forces for “putting the brakes on prejudice.” — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2125

Categorization

• SEED: An essay angle: why anti-racism initiatives built on shaming and external mandates systematically fail, and what internalization-based approaches would look like.
• DEFINE: Distinguishes internal vs external motivation to respond without prejudice as a key framework for prejudice reduction.