The Prejudice Census aims to expand our understanding of prejudice by asking people to act as “citizen scientists”, recording any experiences with prejudice that they may encounter in their daily lives. Of course, the experiences will be very different for each person – sometimes people will report being the target of prejudice, sometimes they will report being the person expressing prejudice, and sometimes they will report simply observing prejudice in others (without being the target or expresser).
The Prejudice Census will, thus, catalogue people’s prejudice experiences on an unprecedented, world-wide scale. Never in the past has this been done in any substantial manner. Through on-line media, we can now begin to gather in a systematic manner the breadth, depth, frequency, intensity, and diversity of prejudice experiences that people have in their daily lives. This will allow us to understand the tone, tenor, timing, and targets of prejudice in a way that researchers have never been able to before.
The Prejudice Census will also allow us to learn what, exactly, people think prejudice is in the first place. This is important because, if people believe their own attitudes (even negative ones about other people) to be correct and appropriate, then anti-prejudice appeals will obviously be rejected. What is needed, then, is an analysis of what people believe to be prejudice or not in the first place, and how and why these beliefs are changed and maintained. This Prejudice Census will help us to meet this need.
The Prejudice Census conducts research into Prejudice, and is based in the Research School of Psychology at The Australian National University, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Adelaide (Australia), Groningen University (the Netherlands), and Tel Aviv University (Israel).
Some Details about What You will Do in the Census
In this psychological research, we will ask you to give report of an encounter you have had with prejudice, to make some judgements about that encounter, and then tell us a bit more about yourself so we can get a better impression about you as a person and your personal circumstances. Completing the Prejudice Census should take you 15 or so minutes.
So, if you have a spare 15 or so minutes, please consider helping us out as a “citizen scientist”. If you click on the link below you will be directed the study, starting with a page detailing the nature of the study, followed by the study itself.
Log into the Prejudice Census
For any questions or concerns please contact PrejudiceCensus.rsp@anu.edu.au. This research has been granted ethics approval by the Australian National University Human Ethics Committee. (ANU Human Research Ethics protocol number 2016/065).
Your participation is very much appreciated!