Prejudice can be defined as the judgment of a group or individual based primarily on group association. Prejudice is not necessarily bad. Ethnocentrism is an example of positive prejudice towards one's own group. Discrimination can be defined as negative or positive behaviors towards individuals based on their group association. Discrimination can be obvious or subtle; in any case, both can be harmful. Although discrimination and prejudice often go hand in hand, there is a difference between the two. Prejudice is simply the negative or positive view of others, while discrimination means enacting prejudice. An example of prejudice could be common racist comments, while an example of discrimination could be the introduction of the caste system in India. This question assumes that prejudice is common in this world and that this problem needs to be solved. Psychologists have created four main hypotheses that can be used to solve this problem. The first hypothesis, the self-esteem hypothesis, says that if people have adequate education and higher self-esteem, their prejudices will disappear. The second hypothesis is the contact hypothesis, according to which the best solution to prejudice is to bring together members of different groups so that they can learn to appreciate their common experiences and backgrounds. The third hypothesis, the cooperation hypothesis, describes that groups in conflict must cooperate by putting aside their individual interests and learning to work together towards common goals. Finally, the fourth hypothesis, the legal one, is that prejudice can be reduced by applying laws against discriminatory behavior. In my opinion, we should always start by trying to solve a problem... middle of paper... .erson, MD, MSc, Robert H Friedman, MD, Arlene S Ash, PhD, Shakira Franco, MS, and Phyllis L Carr , MD. (2004). Faculty self-reported experience with racial and ethnic discrimination in academic medicine. J Gen Intern Med. March 2004; 19(3): 259–265.11. Andrew N. Christopher and Mark R. Wojda. (2007). Social dominance orientation, right-wing authoritarianism, sexism and prejudice against women in the world of work. Women's Psychology Quarterly 2008 32: 65.12. Czopp, A. M., Monteith, M. J., & Mark, A. Y. (2006). Advocating for change: Reducing prejudice through interpersonal discussion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 90, 784-803.13. Tajfel, H. (1974). Social identity and intergroup behavior. Social Science Information, 13, 65-93.14. http://www.delmar.edu/socsci/rlong/race/far-03.htm15. Prejudice and Discrimination Lecture notes by Dr. Andrea Mechelli