Stereotypes Flashcards
What are stereotypes?
APA = generalised beliefs about or expectation from members of a group
The cognitive component of attitudes towards a social group, beliefs abt what a particular group is like.
Are stereotype, prejudice + discrimination interchangeable?
No
How does prejudice and discrimination compare to stereotype?
Prejudice = affective (feeling).
Discrimination = bhvrl (action) component of attitude
How do we form and use stereotypes?
Schemas = cognitive frameworks of info (Fiske & Taylor, 2008)
Schemas used bc categorising = efficient + least cognitive effort ‘cognitive misers’
Motivational purpose = feel positive abt group identity vs other social groups (Social Identity Theory; Tajfel & Turner, 1986). Stereotype other people negatively + boost self-esteem
What does Bodenhausen (1990) show about stereotyping?
Ps = shown info from legal trial (designed to draw on stereotypes suggesting defendants guilt, objectively info is ambiguous) - judge, are they guilty or not?
In the study, Ps = morning/ evening people (pre-tested) + some are tested at convenient/ inconvenient times of day
Lab question = does this effect on other they rely on stereotypes of not
What were the results of Bodenhausen (1990)?
fall into stereotypes when we don’t have cognitive energy to dispense = practical implications
How are stereotypes structured?
Early approaches = stereotyping is descriptive
Recent = identify stereotypic dimensions
What is the stereotype content model?
Fisk et al. (2002) = stereotypes about most groups contain 2 underlying dimensions:
Competence = relies on status perceived in society
Warmth = relies on competition
When you stereotype neg. one side, you stereotype pos. in the other dimension e.g high status, but cold and calculate
Where groups fall = how we treat members of this group:
Envy, admiration, contempt, paternalism
What are the benefits of ‘pos.’ stereotypes?
Detsch et al. (1987) = asked Ps (male vs female) to rate how warm, happy carefree + relaxed a no. of people based on a verbal description w/:
3 conditions = no pic, smiling pic, non-smiling pic
Results:
- Smiling pic = men + women had higher scores
- Non-smiling men = reduces evaluations for males
- Non-smiling women = significantly more evaluated neg. in all dimensions compared to non-smiling men + no pic in women
Gender differences, disconfirms the stereotypes of women + being punished which is reflected when men don’t have this problem.
How do stereotypes influence cognitive processing?
- Where we direct attention (e.g., Cohen, 1981) = attend to stereotype-consistent information
- How we interpret information (e.g., Darley & Gross 1983) = Interpret ambiguous information w/ stereotypes. Girl answering exam, evaluated it higher in a wealthy setting. Ps asked how well the girl did.
- What we remember (e.g., Snyder & Uranowitz, 1978) = Recall more stereotype-consistent information, forget challenges
- How we gather information (e.g., Snyder & Swann, 1978) = Ask questions to confirm our beliefs
Affects every aspect of our cognitive processing.
How do stereotypes influence how we gather information?
Snyder & Swann (1987)
P ‘interviewers’ = led to believe interviewee was either introvert/ extrovert
Ps selected Qs from prepared list + chose Qs to confirm their expectations (hypothesis) e.g leading questions ‘ what do you dislike about parties’
How are stereotypes transmitted?
Lyons & Kashima (2001) = examined the transmission of stereotypes in communication chains.
Australian sample.
Do Chinese Whispers = stereotype consistent info (drinks beers, goes to parties + gets angry) and stereotype inconsistent (listens to classical music, buys flowers)
Results = inconsistent info. disappears quickly but, consistent intact.
Why does stereotype transmission occur?
Cogni. processes = remember stereotype-consistent info
Social proc. = want to establish common ground w/ others. Signal we’re on the same page.
Is how you communicate stereotypes important?
What + how is important
What is the linguistic category model and the four levels of abstraction?
Semin & Fiedler (1988)
Descriptive action verb (DAV) = “Beavis hit Butthead
Interpretative action verb (IAV) = “Beavis hurt Butthead”
State verb (SV) = “Beavis hates Butthead”
Adjective (Adj) = “Beavis is aggressive”
It goes from specific to abstract
What is Linguistic intergroup bias?
Maas et al. (1989) = examined how language abstraction used to describe in-group + out-group members can transmit + sustain stereotypes
Conducted in Ferrara, Italy = strong identification w/ horse racing teams + horse racing competition
Ps = supporters of competing teams
Task = describe cartoons = 4 options:
- Desirable + undesirable actions
- Ingroup/ outgroup actors shown
- drugged, damaged, detests, unfair
What are the results of Maas et al. (1989) in showing linguistic intergroup bias?
If my ingroup member did something = increase desirable abstract language e.g drugging a horse
if outgroup member did something = increase undesirable abstract language e.g being a fraud
This is important = bc people make different inferences/ conclusions from the discussions.
What are the consequences of LIB?
Maas et al. (1989, study 3)
Ps = read descriptions of bhvrs generated in Study 1 (w/out seeing cartoons). Asked, ‘how much info does the phrase reveal abt the protagonist? How likely will the action happen again?’
Results = increased level of abstraction causes the Ps to say…
1. more informative about the actor
2. more likely to be repeated
How does language abstraction grow stereotypes?
Pos. in-group + neg. outgroup action –> abstract language = high dispositional inference - bhvr seen as typical + repetitive (enduring)
Neg. in-group + pos. outgroup action –> concrete language = low
Applied to members of a group repeatedly = leads to stereotyping
What does it feel like to be stereotyped?
historically = focus stereotyper
shift in research = stereotyped
Because stereotypes are a shared, cultural phenomenon, the targets of stereotypes are often aware of how they are seen
What is stereotype threat?
Happens when when people fear = judgment based on neg. stereotyped social identity + may inadvertently act in some
way to confirm a negative stereotype of their group (Logel
et al., 2009; Steele, 1997; Steele, Spencer, & Aronson,
2002).
Awareness that one’s group is neg. stereotyped situations = lead to concerns about whether they will judged against those standards:
* Women and maths
* Some ethnic minorities and academic performance
* Straight men and emotionality
* Social class and intelligence testing
How does Steel & Aronson (1995) support stereotype threat?
Examined performance on intellectual ability test among Black and White Ps w/ ethnicity made salient/ not
Salient ethnicity condition = ask Ps for demographic info immediately before taking verbal ability test. Non-salient condition = demographic info wasn’t collected.
Results = when Ps reminded on their ethnicity was reminded, affected the results on intellectual test (e.g black people in race) vs (no race, black people did better than white people).
What did Steel & Aronson conclude from their study (1995)?
Drop in performance = reminded abt neg. stereotypes
Worried about how they will perform = retention is taken away from the study.
How does Spencer et al. (1999) support stereotype threat?
Male + female Ps, uni students = same math ability (e.g., completed calculus course at B grade or higher, self-reported being good at math).
Conditions = told gender-difference, no-gender-difference
Ps = take a math test that was either described as being
diagnostic of gender differences in math.
* Study 2 – 30 women, 24 men
* Study 3 – 36 women, 31 men
Results = women did worse than mean even though non-closure condition they did similar.
What is the process of stereotype threat?
Schmader et al. (2008) = neg. stereo. activation leads to drop in performance + relevant taks
Different processes causing stereotype activation + drop in performance:
1. Physical Stress = hinders brain’s ability to function
2. Self-monitoring = checking performance, away from task
3. Thought suppression = effort to ignore neg. thoughts abt group
Can stereotypes be counter-measured?
Can be prevented through…
Affirming self = ask indvdl to write their strengths/ values
Distancing from aspects of the stereotype that are incompatible w/ high performance = not dependent on neg. stereotypes
Transforming neg. aspects into pos. = switch it around.
Can stereotype threat be counter-measured?
Aronson et al. (2002) = aimed to counter the effects of stereotype threat on African American college students’ performance in academic tests.
Ps = Stanford undergraduates, 42 Black, 37 White
Method = Intervention focused on conceptions of intelligence as malleable (”growth mindset”) or fixed (”fixed mindset”)
Three conditions = Pen Pal – Growth Mindset, Pen Pal – Control, No Pen Pal - Control
What were the results of Aronson et al. (2002)?
Experimental condition:
- STM + LTM, agree ability can be expanded
- Reported academic study was more important for them
- Enjoyed academic more
- No changes in perceived stereotype threat
- GPA increased = gives resilience
What are the applications of Aronson et al. (2002)
Assessment
Ways to promote pos. elements of self-identity/ social identity
What are the applications of Aronson et al. (2002)
Assessment
Ways to promote pos. elements of self-identity/ social identity
