Causes of a lot of social disrespect

When people feel that others do not value them due to their group affiliations ? like race or gender ? they may be more inclined toward anti-social behavior, a new Stanford study found.

The research examined the psychological roots of anti-social attitudes and behavior, which can lead to crime, unemployment and lack of opportunity.

?This work helps us to better understand the psychological causes of social deviancy,? said Peter Belmi, a Stanford doctoral student in organizational behavior and one of the study?s co-authors.

Other co-authors include Rodolfo Cortes Barragan, a graduate student in psychology; Geoffrey Cohen, a Stanford professor in education and psychology; and Margaret Neale, a Stanford professor in business. The article was published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Belmi said, ?When people feel that they are being viewed negatively by others simply because they belong to a particular gender, race or other group membership, they come away with the impression that others do not treat them respectfully, which in turn makes them more likely to engage in social deviance.?

For example, Belmi said, black American students may worry that they could be judged in light of negative stereotypes about their abilities. And women may worry that others think they are not capable of succeeding in areas and roles traditionally held by men.

Prior research has shown that social identity threats can undermine performance, cognitive flexibility and willpower, he noted.