Prejudice is at the root of many intractable conflicts.

Whether prejudice was born out of the dispute or existed before and contributed to the dispute, exaggerated beliefs about the character and motives of the other party often make reconciliation extremely difficult to achieve.

In this chapter, we argue that this relationship between prejudice and intractable conflicts may have its roots in people’s theories about the mal­leability of human qualities. In our work, we have identified two theories that people can hold about the nature of human qualities. Those who hold an entity theory believe that human qualities—such as goodness or intelligence—are fixed. They are internal entities that people simply do or do not possess. Those who subscribe to this theory not only believe that people have immutable traits, but also that the goal of knowing others is best accomplished by identifying which set of fixed traits they possess. This, as you will see, is the view that leads to stereotyping of others.

The other view, which we have called an incremental theory, instead posits that human qualities are malleable and can be developed. This theory does not imply that everyone will change, but rather that everyone has the ability to grow with education and effort. For people who hold this more dynamic view of human nature, the goal of knowing others is best accomplished, not through judging their fixed traits, but through understanding their psychology—their needs and goals, their thought processes, and their culture.

Throughout the chapter, we show how the entity theory lends itself to rather rapid and rigid judgments of others—both of other individuals and other groups—as well as an inability to detect change or progress in others. We go on to show how the policies and practices that follow from this can pose serious obstacles to effective conflict resolution. In contrast, we show how the incre­mental theory leads to more tentative and flexible initial assessments, ones that are subject to revision as others change.

In order to understand an opponent and find a way to resolve conflict, one must also be willing to admit potential fault—to acknowledge that one’s own view is not the only correct view and that there might be more to be learned about the situation. We review research that explores how an entity theory often leads to more defensive, self-esteem boosting behavior at the expense of prob­lem solving. An incremental theory, in contrast, tends to lead to a more open, challenge-seeking, and learning-oriented stance, which is typically necessary to confront and resolve difficult conflicts.

Fortunately, the view that traits are fixed is itself changeable. In the final sec­tion, we review research demonstrating that changing people’s implicit theories (by teaching them an incremental view) results in a clear reduction in people’s tendency to label and stereotype, a clear increase in their sensitivity to progress and change, and a clear upswing in their desire to learn.