Cognition and Stereotypes

How are stereotypic beliefs transmitted?

through language, nonverbal cues, media and social communication

How does vocabulary transmit stereotypes?

by highlighting group membership and reinforcing expectations

What are the qualifiers for nontraditional group members?

labels that make certain identities stand out as unusual

• example = female doctor or black dentist

How do common expressions transmit national stereotypes?

they attach negative traits to entire groups

How does nonverbal media imagery transmit stereotypes?

by portraying people of colour with mugshots and white people with flattering photos when arrested

What kind of information is more likely to be shared?

stereotype consistent information

Why is stereotype inconsistent information shared less often?

it challenges existing beliefs and requires more cognitive effort

What does it mean that stereotypes are “based in social reality”

they often contain partial or contextual truth

What is the kernel of truth?

a small factual basis that gets exaggerated and overgeneralized

Whats an example of a descriptive stereotype?

men are taller than women

When do stereotypes become problematic?

when they become more prescriptive

Give an example of a prescriptive stereotype?

women should be teachers and men should be engineers

Where do people learn stereotypes from?

parents, peers, media, personal observations

What two psychological processes contribute to stereotypes?

social role theory and illusory correlation

what is social role theory?

the idea that people infer traits based on the social roles others occupy

how do roles become stereotypes?

characteristics of the role are attributed to the person

what is correspondence bias?

overattributing behaviour to personality rather than situational demands

How does correspondence bias support social role theory?

People ignore situational constraints and assume traits are internal

What is illusory correlation?

the incorrect belief that two characteristics are related

when is illusory correlation most likely to occur?

When distinctive or undesirable behaviours stand out

what happens once illusory correlations from?

They are difficult to change and bias future information processing

what is the classic illusory correlation paradigm?

Participants read mostly positive behaviours linked to majority and minority groups, yet overassociate negative behaviours with minority groups

why is illusory correlation powerful?

Even rare behaviours by distinctive groups can shape lasting stereotypes

how does media exposure affect stereotypes?

Greater exposure increases stereotypic beliefs

how are powerful groups portrayed in media?

More frequently and more positively

which groups are underrepresented in media?

Women, older adults, sexual minorities, ethnic minorities

How are women typically portrayed in advertising?

In domestic roles or dependence-oriented behaviours

How are men typically portrayed in advertising?

In professional and leadership roles

What are the three main functions of stereotypes?

• Ego-defensive

• Social

• Cognitive

what does it mean that humans are cognitive misers?

Simplifying the social world

What are the three stages of processing information?

Encoding, storage, retrieval

What is faulty causal interpretation?

Mistaking structural causes for essential traits

What is the fundamental attribution error?

Overattributing behaviour to internal causes rather than situational ones

Why are stereotypes inaccurate by definition?

They overgeneralize group characteristics

What is vivid information and why is it persuasive?

• Concrete, emotional, attention-grabbing information

• It is memorable and frames interpretation, distorting the bigger picture

what is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Expectations influence behaviour in ways that confirm the expectation

How do stereotypes contribute to expectancy confirmation?

People treat others in stereotype-consistent ways

what is a stereotype threat?

Fear of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group.

When does stereotype threat occur?

When a stereotype is relevant to performance

What are two fears involved in stereotype threat?

1. Fulfilling the stereotype

2. Being judged through the stereotype