Motives which can promote versus reduce prejudice

The article is a review of the empirical literature that has examined the role of motivation (and various motives) contributing to the process of prejudice forming and usage. Thus, the article provided description of the motivational mechanisms promoting and reducing prejudice. In addition, the differentiation of the motives linked with prejudice were discussed as well as their situational and personal determinants. Moreover, the individual differences in such motives were considered in the analysis of prejudice. Furthermore, the situation where one and the same motive (need for cognitive closure) once promotes prejudice and some other time reduces it were analyzed. peerReviewed publishedVersion