THE CENTRAL FACT THAT EMERGES FROM RESEARCH ON ANTI-SEMITISM IS THAT PREJUDICE PERFORMS A PSYCHOLOGICAL FUNCTION. TO THE INTENSE BIGOT, PREJUDICE IS AN EMOTIONAL OUTLET ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING A SENSE OF SELF-IMPORTANCE. EVEN TO THE MODERATE OR MILD ANTI-SEMITE, PREJUDICE IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR A TRUE FEELING OF PERSONAL OR GROUP WORTH. THERE ARE MANY HISTORICAL ROOTS OF ANTI-SEMITISM. RELIGIOUS CONFLICT BETWEEN JEWS AND CHRISTIANS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CAUSE OF PREJUDICE, BUT IS CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY FACTOR TO BE CONSIDERED. THE ECONOMIC STEREOTYPE OF THE JEW AS A SHREWD AND TRICKY BUSINESSMAN HAS RESULTED IN MUCH BIASED CRITICISM. OUTSIDE THE ECONOMIC AREA, IN HOUSING AND SOCIAL LIFE, HOSTILITY TO JEWS IS LESS WIDESPREAD AND SEEMS TO COME FROM A DIFFERENT ORIGIN. SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS WHICH KEEP JEWS OUT OF COUNTRY CLUBS, EXECUTIVE POSITIONS IN LARGE CORPORATIONS, AND MANY FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES ARE MAINTAINED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVED BY CONTENTION AND STATUS-SEEKING RATHER THAN BY DEEP-SEATED PREJUDICE. ON THE BASIS OF OPINION SURVEYS, INTERVIEWS, AND OTHER STUDIES, TWO FACTORS EMERGE WHICH APPARENTLY CORRELATE WITH LESS ANTI-SEMITISM IN THE GREAT AMERICAN MIDDLE-CLASS,EDUCATION AND ASSOCIATION. BECAUSE JEWS IN AMERICA ARE, IN GENERAL, MEMBERS OF THE MIDDLE-CLASS, THE CHRISTIAN MERCHANT, WHITE-COLLAR WORKER, AND PROFESSIONAL PERSON TEND TO HAVE THE MOST FREQUENT PERSONAL CONTACT WITH JEWS. PEOPLE IN THESE CATEGORIES ALSO TEND TO HAVE MORE EDUCATION.