Animus-based discrimination

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Animus-Based (or Taste-Based) Discrimination occurs when agents' personal prejudices or “tastes” against associating with members of a particular group (in a particular way) affect their treatment of those individuals. This theory originated in Gary Becker's 1957 book The Economics of Discrimination. Typically, it is characterized by certain actors preferring not to interact with a particular group of people and therefore paying an economic price to avoid these interactions.


Animus-based discrimination in the real world

In the labor market, noneconomic tastes for discrimination (animus, bigotry,…) may be introduced into the market by a firm’s owners, employees, or customers.



Compare to statistical discrimination, implicit associations, and institutional discrimination.