Final answer:
Another explanation for prejudice beyond the 'us versus them' mindset includes the psychological need to maintain positive self-worth, which can manifest as scapegoating. Confirmation bias and the dual attitudes model, where implicit biases differ from explicit ones, also contribute to prejudice. Education and engagement with diverse groups can mitigate these biases.
Step-by-step explanation:
Besides the us versus them mindset, another explanation for prejudice includes psychological needs such as maintaining a positive self-concept. Prejudice allows individuals to feel superior and protect their in-group by scapegoating out-groups for their frustrations or failures. Other contributing factors include experiences that lead to confirmation bias, where individual actions of a group member are perceived as representative of their entire group, reconfirming pre-existing negative stereotypes. Taking this into account, education and positive interactions with diverse groups can reduce prejudices by breaking down these adverse beliefs and promoting understanding.
Racism is considered a specific, more extreme form of prejudice, characterized by the belief in the superiority or inferiority of races. Historical examples include the segregation laws in the United States, which were blatant forms of racial discrimination. Conversely, modern racism may be more difficult to detect due to the dual attitudes model, with explicit attitudes not always aligning with implicit, often unconscious biases.