Sociocultural Approach - The Individual and the Group - Stereotypes

Question 1

Stereotype

Answer 1

A preconcieved notion about a group of people
- generalisations about a group and then attributed to
all members of that group

Stereotypes …

• are energy-saving devices
• can be automatically activated
• are stable and resistant to change
• affect behaviour

Question 2

Stereotypes Formation

Answer 2

E.g. illusory correlation theory

Question 3

Illusory Correlation Theory

Answer 3

An error of association:
- that incorrect conclusion that two evens that occur at
the same time are related

2 processes:

• Overestimation of variables that are distinctive
• Two unusual events happening together

Once illusory correlations are made, people tend to seek out or remeber informaiton that supports that relationship = confirmation bias
- This makes stereotypical thinking resistant to change

Question 4

Confirmation bias

Answer 4

• The tendency to seek out information to confirm what you already believe and overlook information that does not

Question 5

Hamilton & Gifford (1976)

Answer 5

Aim:
- Investigate how stereotypes could be formed about imagined groups (of group size and negative behaviour)

Pps:

• 20 male undergrad
• 20 female undergrad

Procedure:
- Behaviour descriptions given e.g. “are rarely late for work”
- rate desirability
- based on their average ratings 39 descriptions were
selected
- 26 moderately desirable
- 12 moderately undesirable
- researchers put them in sentences
- 26 statements - person described as group A
- 13 statements - person described as group B
- same proportion of desirable:undesirable
descriptions for group A and B
- group A - 18:8
- group B - 9:4
- Pps presented with statements one by one
- shown for 8 seconds
1. all the different behaviour descriptions were shown
- pps were to indicate whether the descriptor had been
used for a member of group A or group B
2. pps were told how many of the statements that had
described memebrs of group A and group B
- asked to estimate how many of these had been
desirable and how many had been undesirable

Results:
- Pps at average believed that 65% of desirable behaviour
had been attributed to group A - 35% to group B
- close to the actual distribution - 66%:33%
- Pps at average believed that 48% of undesirable
descriptors had been attributed to group A - 52% to
group B
- number of undesirable descriptors overestimated for
group B and underestimated for group A
- Analysis of estimated frequencies of desirable and
undesirable descriptions:
- Group A - pps thought 66% of statements had a
desirable content and 34% had undesirable content
- Group B - 54%-44%

Question 6

Stereotypes Effect

Answer 6

E.g. Threat effect

Question 7

Stereotype Threat Effect Developed By…

Answer 7

Claude Steele 1990s

Question 8

Stereotype Threat

Answer 8

• The experience of concern (anxiety) about being evaluated based on negative stereotypes about one’s group, leading to performance inpairment.
  
  • Can hamper academic achievements in 2 ways
    
    • By directly interfering with the performance
    • If threat persists, it can cause individuals to disidentify
      from the domain

Question 9

Johns et al. (2005)

Answer 9

Hypothesis:
- If a task is described as a mathematic task -> will create
stereotype threat in women -> women will perform
worse due to the anxiety caused by the threat
- Awareness of the effect of stereotype threats and their
effects will reduce the effect

Pps:
- 144 introductory statistics students volunteered

Procedure:
- Mixed gender group sessions
- 3 conditions
- Problem-solving condition
- pps were told they were going to be asked to
complete a problem-solving exercise for a study of
cognitive processes
- Math-test condition
- pps were told that they would be completeing a
standardised test for a study of gender differences in
mathematics
- Teaching.intervention condition
- pps were given same instructions as in math-test
condition
- pps had stereotype threat described and researchers
suffested to women that if they are anxious during the
test it could be because of those negative
stereotypes, but they don’t define their ability
- All were given the same test
- Given 20 minutes to work on 30 multiple-choice word
problems

Results:
- Problem-solving condition - women score>men score
- Math-test condition - men score»women score
- Teaching-intervention condition - men score=women
score
- indicating that awareness of stereotype threat reduces the effects of such threat