Individual and collective prejudice processes have distinct causes

Evidence

Although this chapter has focused on scapegoating as a collective process, individual-level scapegoating ought not to be abandoned as a topic of study. At the individual level, momentary frustrations, such as threats to self-esteem, can exacerbate derogation of outgroups (Fein & Spencer, 1997) and daily frustrations can lead individuals to respond disproportionately to minor provocations, especially by outgroup members (Miller, Pederson, Earleywine, & Pollock, 2003). However, such individual-level processes must be distinguished from collective processes; whereas the former explain when individuals are likely spontaneously to act on their prejudices, the latter explain when frustrations lead to organized persecution of outgroups. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1611

Categorization

• QUESTION: The chapter references Fein & Spencer 1997 and Miller et al. 2003 as empirical supports worth pulling directly for the vault’s causal claims.