ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the most important lines of thought in the social psychology of stereotyping and modern racism. It discusses the role of personality in understanding the complexity of prejudice, racism and discrimination in general, and anti-Roma prejudice in particular. The ideology of extreme prejudice belongs to the category of 'performative' rather than 'constative' language. Research by Diab demonstrates that authoritarianism predicts prejudice towards Jews but not to others groups. The authoritarianism is considered as a psychological dimension that is 'activated' or 'deactivated' by different conditions, circumstances and social contexts. As Stenner argues, manifestations of authoritarianism 'depend upon the interaction of individual predispositions with threatening societal conditions'. The focus on personality traits such as openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and emotional stability plays an important role in the acquisition of political information, political participation and regulation of political predispositions.
