Discrimination is a staple of modern society, but there are ways to combat it, a professor told students Thursday.

Any form of prejudice, whether blatant or subtle, can be harmful to members of stigmatized groups, said Mikki Hebl, Franklin Visiting Scholar and associate professor of psychology and management at Rice University in Texas.

“If you scratch the surface [of discrimination], you do see a difference,” Hebl said, drawing on examples of people who say one thing but act in a contrary manner.

Hebl discussed formal discrimination of the past and the strides that have been made in society to move forward, such as the increasing diversity in the workforce.

Interpersonal discrimination is discrimination or prejudice of someone on the basis of race, sex, age, economic status, sexual orientation or other factors, according to an article in the JSTOR archives. JSTOR houses academic journals for social sciences and other disciplines.

Hebl’s research focused on face-to-face interactions and how people treat others in different situations.

Her experiments documented the difference in treatment for people suffering from obesity, pregnant women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community regarding issues such as customer service and potential employment.

Hebl found that the different groups experience interpersonal discrimination according to “what is appropriate for a particular stereotype.”

For example, Hebl noted that pregnant women had positive interaction in stores when shopping. However, when applying for jobs in the same stores, there was a decrease in friendliness and they were often asked if they needed to sit down when filling out applications.

“Interpersonal discrimination is harmful because it leads one to decipher what is going on,” she said.

Allee Smith, a junior from Perry, said she also views subtle discrimination to be more damaging than formal discrimination.

“I would rather someone tell me and be straightforward as opposed to there being a hidden meaning,” she said.

Although interpersonal discrimination is harmful, Hebl offered two ways to reduce it through an individual and institutional level, with acknowledgement and positivity for those who are stigmatized.

“I don’t think it is the responsibility of individuals to bear the burden of discrimination,” she said. “But there are reasons to know strategies to reduce it.”

Hebl said that instances of interpersonal discrimination over time create substantial problems.

“Molehills become mountains when compounded over time,” Hebl said.