Stereotyping Flashcards
STUDY: Eberhardt, Davies, & Purdie, 2006 - “The Look of Death:”
A:
B: Examined perceptions of guilt among African American men. The study focused on how stereotypically black facial features influenced sentencing outcomes. They found that African American men with more stereotypically black facial structures were 50% more likely to be sentenced to death for the same crimes compared to those with less stereotypically black features. This highlights how automatic reactions and impulses, shaped by experiences, societal norms, and media, can have significant real-world impacts, demonstrating the severe consequences of stereotyping.
C:
B: Examined perceptions of guilt among African American men. The study focused on how stereotypically black facial features influenced sentencing outcomes. They found that African American men with more stereotypically black facial structures were 50% more likely to be sentenced to death for the same crimes compared to those with less stereotypically black features. This highlights how automatic reactions and impulses, shaped by experiences, societal norms, and media, can have significant real-world impacts, demonstrating the severe consequences of stereotyping.
STUDY: Police Officer’s Dilemma (Correll et al., 2002):
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B:
C: Participants played a video game where they navigated a virtual building. At random points, a person would appear, either white or black, holding either a gun or a neutral object like a phone. Participants were instructed to shoot as quickly as possible if the person was armed and do nothing if unarmed. The study found that participants were more likely to mistakenly shoot unarmed black targets than unarmed white targets and were more likely to fail to shoot armed white targets compared to armed black targets.
C: Participants played a video game where they navigated a virtual building. At random points, a person would appear, either white or black, holding either a gun or a neutral object like a phone. Participants were instructed to shoot as quickly as possible if the person was armed and do nothing if unarmed. The study found that participants were more likely to mistakenly shoot unarmed black targets than unarmed white targets and were more likely to fail to shoot armed white targets compared to armed black targets.
What is a stereotype?
A: Stereotypes are beliefs that associate specific traits with a group of people and can be either positive or negative. These are cognitive associations and are simply beliefs about groups. While negative stereotypes are often highlighted, positive stereotypes also exist.
B:
C:
A: Stereotypes are beliefs that associate specific traits with a group of people and can be either positive or negative. These are cognitive associations and are simply beliefs about groups. While negative stereotypes are often highlighted, positive stereotypes also exist.
Can stereotypes be true?
A:
B: Stereotypes can sometimes be true at the group level but not necessarily at the individual level. For example, while it’s generally true that basketball players are tall, this doesn’t apply to every individual player. Stereotypes can also be incorrect, outdated, or influenced by personal motivations. People often mistakenly believe that group differences are due to internal traits rather than external social forces.
B: Stereotypes can sometimes be true at the group level but not necessarily at the individual level. For example, while it’s generally true that basketball players are tall, this doesn’t apply to every individual player. Stereotypes can also be incorrect, outdated, or influenced by personal motivations. People often mistakenly believe that group differences are due to internal traits rather than external social forces.
What 3 ways can stereotypes be wrong?
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B:
C: #1: The overall generalization can be wrong, #2: The group generalization can be misapplied to individuals, #3: We can misunderstand the cause of the true stereotype
1: The overall generalization can be wrong:
C: #1: The overall generalization can be wrong, #2: The group generalization can be misapplied to individuals, #3: We can misunderstand the cause of the true stereotype
Stereotypes can be completely incorrect or outdated. For example, believing men are better at spatial rotation on average when they are not.
Stereotypes can lead to errors when group generalizations are applied to individuals. Asking if a specific man is better at spatial rotation than a specific woman is different from asking if men in general are better than women at this skill. Misapplying group generalizations to individuals is problematic and can lead to incorrect assumptions.
We often misunderstand the cause of a true stereotype by assuming it is due to inherent traits rather than situational factors. This is known as “The Ultimate Attribution Error,” where we incorrectly attribute a group’s negative behaviors or outcomes to their nature instead of external circumstances or societal forces.
What is The Ultimate Attribution Error?
A: Occurs when we mistakenly attribute a group’s negative behaviors or outcomes to their inherent traits rather than external circumstances or societal forces. When a group has a negative association, we tend to assume it’s due to something inherent in their nature.
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C:
A: Occurs when we mistakenly attribute a group’s negative behaviors or outcomes to their inherent traits rather than external circumstances or societal forces. When a group has a negative association, we tend to assume it’s due to something inherent in their nature.
What is prejudice?
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B:
C: Prejudice involves negative feelings or attitudes toward others based on their group membership. It focuses on emotional responses, resulting in negative sentiments about a specific group of people.
C: Prejudice involves negative feelings or attitudes toward others based on their group membership. It focuses on emotional responses, resulting in negative sentiments about a specific group of people.
What is discrimination?
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B: Discrimination involves negative behaviors toward others based on their group membership. It refers to actions taken as a result of negative feelings about a specific group of people.
C:
B: Discrimination involves negative behaviors toward others based on their group membership. It refers to actions taken as a result of negative feelings about a specific group of people.
IAT test:
A: Measures these biases by pairing pleasant and unpleasant words with white and black faces. Participants respond faster when pairs match their stereotypical beliefs and slower when they do not, taking 50% longer to respond when pleasant words are paired with black faces, regardless of order. This demonstrates implicit biases shaped by environmental experiences, not consciously endorsed beliefs. The test controls for order of presentation, response side bias, and color connotation to ensure accurate results.
B:
C:
A: Measures these biases by pairing pleasant and unpleasant words with white and black faces. Participants respond faster when pairs match their stereotypical beliefs and slower when they do not, taking 50% longer to respond when pleasant words are paired with black faces, regardless of order. This demonstrates implicit biases shaped by environmental experiences, not consciously endorsed beliefs. The test controls for order of presentation, response side bias, and color connotation to ensure accurate results.
What does the IAT predict?
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B:
C: Various discriminatory behaviors. 75% of people taking the IAT show an automatic white preference. It reliably predicts discriminatory actions, even among those with strong egalitarian beliefs. The IAT has been shown to predict voting behavior in the 2008 election, reactions to anti-black racial humor, and disparities in medical care provided by doctors to black and white patients.
C: Various discriminatory behaviors. 75% of people taking the IAT show an automatic white preference. It reliably predicts discriminatory actions, even among those with strong egalitarian beliefs. The IAT has been shown to predict voting behavior in the 2008 election, reactions to anti-black racial humor, and disparities in medical care provided by doctors to black and white patients.
Why do we stereotype?
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B: We stereotype for both cognitive and motivational reasons. Cognitively, stereotyping saves effort and reduces ambiguity, simplifying our understanding of the world without malicious intent. Motivationally, stereotyping makes us feel better about ourselves by putting others down, especially when we feel threatened or our ego is at risk. This behavior boosts our self-esteem and becomes more pronounced during times of perceived threat.
C:
B: We stereotype for both cognitive and motivational reasons. Cognitively, stereotyping saves effort and reduces ambiguity, simplifying our understanding of the world without malicious intent. Motivationally, stereotyping makes us feel better about ourselves by putting others down, especially when we feel threatened or our ego is at risk. This behavior boosts our self-esteem and becomes more pronounced during times of perceived threat.
What is cognitive miser?
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B:
C: Suggests that we are greedy with our cognitive effort, expending as little as possible because thinking is hard. Stereotypes help by categorizing people quickly and efficiently, though often at the cost of accuracy. This allows us to easily and quickly categorize others, which feels good because it requires minimal effort.
C: Suggests that we are greedy with our cognitive effort, expending as little as possible because thinking is hard. Stereotypes help by categorizing people quickly and efficiently, though often at the cost of accuracy. This allows us to easily and quickly categorize others, which feels good because it requires minimal effort.
STUDY: Stereotypes & Cognitive Effort Macrae, Milne, & Bodenhausen (1994):
A: Examined how stereotypes affect cognitive effort. Participants saw adjectives describing ‘Julian,’ with some given a stereotypical label (e.g., artist) and others not. Half the traits matched the label, and half were random. After a geography lesson, those with the label remembered more consistent traits and performed better on the geography test. This suggests that having a stereotype to organize information frees cognitive resources and that this process may be automatic. The study was replicated with subliminal label presentation, showing similar results. Stereotypes help organize information and improve multitasking by freeing mental energy.
B:
C:
A: Examined how stereotypes affect cognitive effort. Participants saw adjectives describing ‘Julian,’ with some given a stereotypical label (e.g., artist) and others not. Half the traits matched the label, and half were random. After a geography lesson, those with the label remembered more consistent traits and performed better on the geography test. This suggests that having a stereotype to organize information frees cognitive resources and that this process may be automatic. The study was replicated with subliminal label presentation, showing similar results. Stereotypes help organize information and improve multitasking by freeing mental energy.
STUDY: Stereotypes reduce ambiguity Kunda & Sherman-Williams (1993):
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B: Shows that stereotypes reduce ambiguity, aiding in predictions and judgments. Participants read sentences about actions by either a construction worker or a housewife, varying in perceived aggression. In clear high or low aggression scenarios, stereotypes had no effect. However, in ambiguous situations, actions by construction workers were rated as more aggressive than those by housewives. This demonstrates that stereotypes influence our subjective construal of ambiguous situations, making them clearer and less ambiguous.
C:
B: Shows that stereotypes reduce ambiguity, aiding in predictions and judgments. Participants read sentences about actions by either a construction worker or a housewife, varying in perceived aggression. In clear high or low aggression scenarios, stereotypes had no effect. However, in ambiguous situations, actions by construction workers were rated as more aggressive than those by housewives. This demonstrates that stereotypes influence our subjective construal of ambiguous situations, making them clearer and less ambiguous.
Basic Rule of Social Psychology:
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B:
C: Social psychological factors such as context, schemas, stereotypes, and expectations are more important for interpreting ambiguous stimuli and situations than non-ambiguous ones. In ambiguous conditions, these factors influence how we perceive and interpret the situation. For example, the act of hitting is judged differently based on whether a construction worker or a housewife is performing it, leading to different subjective construals and imagined scenarios. This is because, in non-ambiguous situations, we don’t need additional cues to understand what is happening.
C: Social psychological factors such as context, schemas, stereotypes, and expectations are more important for interpreting ambiguous stimuli and situations than non-ambiguous ones. In ambiguous conditions, these factors influence how we perceive and interpret the situation. For example, the act of hitting is judged differently based on whether a construction worker or a housewife is performing it, leading to different subjective construals and imagined scenarios. This is because, in non-ambiguous situations, we don’t need additional cues to understand what is happening.
STUDY: Motivational Account of Stereotyping Spencer, Fein, Fong (1998):
A: Involved white undergraduate students. The research assistant was either Asian or not, serving as a prime for the participants. Participants either succeeded or failed at a task to manipulate ego threat. They then completed words with missing letters, some consistent with Asian stereotypes. Results showed that subjects with an Asian assistant made more stereotypical word completions than those with a white assistant. Additionally, those who failed at the task (ego threat) were more likely to make stereotypical completions than those who succeeded. This suggests that stereotypes help restore a positive sense of self by making individuals feel superior to others.
B:
C:
A: Involved white undergraduate students. The research assistant was either Asian or not, serving as a prime for the participants. Participants either succeeded or failed at a task to manipulate ego threat. They then completed words with missing letters, some consistent with Asian stereotypes. Results showed that subjects with an Asian assistant made more stereotypical word completions than those with a white assistant. Additionally, those who failed at the task (ego threat) were more likely to make stereotypical completions than those who succeeded. This suggests that stereotypes help restore a positive sense of self by making individuals feel superior to others.
