PSYC FPX 1540 Assessment 1 A Class Divided Worksheet Insights

Student Name

Capella University

PSYC-FPX1540 The Psychology of Human Differences and Society

Prof. Name:

Date

A Class Divided Worksheet

Preparation

Before completing this worksheet, it is essential to view the documentary A Class Divided from the Reading List. This documentary explores Jane Elliott’s renowned blue eyes/brown eyes classroom experiment, conducted in 1968 after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The exercise was designed to help students understand the experience of discrimination and prejudice by dividing them into groups based on eye color.

Part 1: Connecting Concepts

Scoring Criterion

Describe the effects of culture, ethnicity, and diversity on the human experience.

Purpose

The goal of this section is to identify related information from multiple sources and synthesize it into a cohesive paragraph that demonstrates understanding of how stereotypes develop and influence human behavior.

Directions and Responses

Directions	Your Response
1. Quote your textbook’s explanation of how stereotypes develop.	“Stereotypes evolve through repeated social learning processes, which include categorization, overgeneralization, and selective perception. These mechanisms allow individuals to simplify social information but often result in biased conclusions about others (Blaine & Brenchley, 2020).”
*2. Summarize a key point from the video A Class Divided* related to how stereotypes form.**	The documentary A Class Divided demonstrates how stereotypes emerge rapidly in social environments when arbitrary distinctions—such as eye color—become the basis for preferential treatment and social categorization (Frontline, 1985).
3. Compare the video summary to the textbook explanation—how are they similar to each other?	Both sources highlight categorization as a foundational process in stereotype formation. The textbook emphasizes cognitive mechanisms such as selective perception and generalization, while the video provides a real-world demonstration of these processes. In both cases, individuals quickly develop biased attitudes when they categorize others based on superficial traits.

Putting It Together

Main Idea:
Stereotypes originate and intensify through social categorization and selective perception, shaping how individuals perceive and interact with others across diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Paragraph (Using MEAL Plan):
Stereotypes originate and intensify through social categorization and selective perception, shaping how individuals perceive and interact with others across diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. “Stereotypes evolve through repeated social learning processes, which include categorization, overgeneralization, and selective perception. These mechanisms allow individuals to simplify social information but often result in biased conclusions about others (Blaine & Brenchley, 2020).” In A Class Divided, Jane Elliott’s exercise illustrates how quickly stereotypes can form when individuals are divided based on eye color, leading to unequal treatment and assumptions about intelligence and character (Frontline, 1985). Both the reading and the video reveal that stereotypes are sustained through categorization and reinforcement of social biases, influencing human interaction and reinforcing systemic inequality.

Part 2: Common Fallacies

Scoring Criterion

Describe the relationship between common fallacies in thinking and inaccurate conclusions.

Purpose

The purpose of this section is to understand the connection between cognitive biases and how they lead to flawed reasoning and unjust conclusions.

Directions

Your Response

Describe ultimate attribution error.

The ultimate attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute the behavior of out-group members to internal or dispositional causes, while explaining in-group members’ behavior as the result of external circumstances (Blaine & Brenchley, 2020).

Describe an example from the video A Class Divided that shows ultimate attribution error at work.

In A Class Divided, when the brown-eyed children were told they were superior, they interpreted their success as a result of their personal qualities rather than the privileges they were given. Conversely, the blue-eyed children’s failures were attributed to internal deficiencies, not to the discriminatory treatment they faced. This is a clear example of the ultimate attribution error influencing perception and judgment (Frontline, 1985).

Part 3: Communication

Scoring Criterion

Describe the relationship between culture, value, bias, and misunderstandings in communication.

Purpose

This section explores how cultural bias and stereotyping distort interpersonal communication and create misunderstandings.

Directions

Your Response

Describe an example from the video A Class Divided that shows how a stereotype (eye color) affected communication between the participants.

In the documentary, when Jane Elliott labeled brown-eyed students as superior, communication between the two groups deteriorated rapidly. The brown-eyed students became dominant and dismissive, while the blue-eyed students grew defensive and withdrawn. This demonstrates how stereotypes shape verbal and nonverbal communication by reinforcing bias and reducing empathy. The children’s interactions reflected value distortion and misinterpretation rooted in newly formed prejudices (Frontline, 1985).

Part 4: Self-Reflection

Scoring Criterion

Describe the potential for prejudice and discrimination in oneself and others.

Purpose

This section connects theoretical knowledge to personal experience, encouraging critical self-awareness of one’s own susceptibility to bias.

Directions	Your Response
Describe one of the processes of stereotypes (personal exposure, distinctive individuals and behaviors, socialization) from the textbook.	The process of socialization plays a central role in stereotype formation. Individuals internalize societal norms and expectations through interactions with family, peers, media, and institutions, which collectively reinforce specific group perceptions (Blaine & Brenchley, 2020).
*Describe an experience from the video A Class Divided* that shows a process of a stereotype developing.**	In A Class Divided, socialization occurs when Jane Elliott instructs her students that eye color determines superiority. Through repeated reinforcement and peer validation, the children begin to internalize this belief, demonstrating how social learning rapidly embeds stereotypes (Frontline, 1985).
Describe an experience from your life (or observation) that shows a process of a stereotype developing.	From personal observation, I have seen how media portrayals influence gender stereotypes. For instance, a colleague who grew up consuming media that depicted men as aggressive and emotionally distant began to unconsciously generalize these traits to all men. This reflects how socialization perpetuates gender-based stereotypes through consistent exposure to biased representations.

Part 5: Looking to Careers

Scoring Criterion

Describe the importance of working effectively in diverse work environments.

Purpose

This section emphasizes how understanding psychological principles of diversity fosters inclusivity and professional growth in the workplace.

Directions	Your Response
Using bullet points, describe 3 job-related skills or abilities you’ll develop in this course.	• Cross-cultural empathy• Inclusive leadership and teamwork• Cultural competence and adaptability
In a full sentence, describe one skill or ability you’ll develop in this course that you can use in life right away (at work, at school, or in your personal life).	This course will strengthen my ability to empathize with individuals from diverse backgrounds, allowing me to communicate more effectively and inclusively in both professional and personal contexts.
*Describe one thing you learned from this activity (or A Class Divided) that you can use in life right away (at work, at school, or in your personal life).*	This activity taught me to actively recognize and challenge stereotypes when they appear in social or professional settings. By doing so, I can foster environments that promote mutual respect, understanding, and equity among individuals of diverse backgrounds.

References

Blaine, B. E., & Brenchley, K. J. M. (2020). Understanding the psychology of diversity (4th ed.). Sage Publications.