less susceptible to the indicated harms. That is not to say, however, that Professor Paradies' evidence specific to the susceptibility of persons who possess one or more of the Group Attributes to harm from exposure to the content of Senator Hanson's tweet should be discounted. Such Group Attributes form an indelible part of the context to which persons respond to racism. Overall, I consider that he was unshaken in cross-examination. I accept his evidence.
Professor Katherine Jane Reynolds
140 Professor Reynolds has been Professor of Psychology and Learning at the Faculty of Education, University of Melbourne, since 2022. Prior to that, she was an Associate Professor and then Professor of Psychology at the ANU Department of Psychology where she served as Associate Director (2014–2017). She is a leading expert in the areas of group processes (leadership, influence, norms) and intergroup relations (stereotyping, prejudice, conflict, cohesion) from a social identity perspective. She was awarded a PhD in social psychology by ANU in 1997.
141 Professor Reynolds' evidence includes an overview of social psychology as a sub-discipline of psychology. Much of that is not immediately relevant for present purposes. However, she explained that prejudice, discrimination and racism are topics that have been central to social psychology over the last 80 years. Typically, prejudice is defined as a negative attitude or emotional response towards members of a particular social group based solely on their membership in that group. Prejudice involves making generalised judgments about individuals or groups. It often involves negative stereotypes and feelings directed towards a particular group.
142 Professor Reynolds said that racism occurs when negative prejudice is directed towards an individual or group on the basis of their ethnic, cultural (and often religious) or racial heritage and can be institutional where racism is embedded in the culture, ethos, laws and societal norms. Discrimination concerns behaviour where an individual or group's actions harm others through exclusion, negative treatment, violence, or inequity in opportunities.
143 Professor Reynolds summarised the opinions presented in her report as follows. A person who attributes their own personal negative treatment or that of their group to prejudice (racism) is likely to experience significantly poor physical and mental health. Those who experience prejudice (racism) will likely feel devalued, excluded and rejected from the majority group which reduces belonging to the larger group (eg nation) in which they live. Even when not the
