A Conditioned Attitude Model of Individual Discriminatory Behavior

In this paper I present a model of individual-level discrimination that is consistent with the majority of mainstream sociological and psychological theories of discrimination and that reconciles many of the opposing views, to create a fuller and more realistic picture of the complex phenomenon of discrimination. The mechanism that determines whether discrimination occurs and what form it takes consists of three stages. First, an individual uses his or her information set to derive beliefs about a group or an evaluation of its characteristics. Then he or she combines these preexisting beliefs with any new information input received to form an attitude which signifies the degree of hostility or a favorable attitude toward the group members at any particular point in time. Finally, he or she weighs the internal benefits of discrimination against external consequences of such an action and chooses the perceived optimal form of behavior. Based on the predictions of the model, I propose several general policy recommendations for the reduction of discriminatory behavior in leisure settings.