The conceptual foundations of prejudice

ABSTRACT

Prejudice towards members of different groups is ubiquitous in human societies. It also emerges very early in children’s development. In this talk, I will describe two of the conceptual foundations of prejudice, namely, essentialism and homogenization. I will then present evidence as to the early emergence of these conceptual foundations in development. I will end with a tentative perspective as to how to address these conceptual foundations in order to alleviate their potential negative social implications.