Pride and prejudice: how feelings about the self influence judgements of others. (2012)

“Hubristic pride can exacerbate prejudice, while a more self-confident, authentic pride may help to reduce racism and homophobia. How we feel about ourselves influences how we feel about people who are different from us

Claire E. Ashton-James, VU University Amsterdam
Jessica L. Tracy, University of British Columbia

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 2012 38: 466

Hubristic pride can exacerbate prejudice, while a more self-confident, authentic pride may help to reduce racism and homophobia. The authors’ studies show that how we feel about ourselves directly influences how we feel about people who are different from us.

“The kind of pride a leader tends to feel may partly determine whether he or she supports minority-group members or disregards them.”

With pride as a central emotion for people with power or high social status, the findings may offer important insights into the attitudes of political and economic leaders.

Access the full paper here: Pride and prejudice