Write down your definition of Stereotype. Sociocultural Cognition #4

1. Write down your definition of Stereotype. Sociocultural Cognition #4 Explain the formation of stereotypes and their effect on behaviour.

2. A social perception of an individual in terms of group membership or physical attributes • A generalization about a group and then attributed to members of that group • Book definition on page 108 • These stereotypes can be + or – • Examples?? • A form of social categorization which can affect behaviour Stereotype

3. Occurs when one is in a situation where there is a threat of being judged or treated stereotypically , or a fear that your actions will unintentionally confirm the stereotype Stereotype Threat

4. 30 minute verbal, multiple choice, test • One group was told it was a “genuine test of their abilities” • African-Americans scored lower than whites • A second group was told it was a lab task used to study how certain problems are solved • African-Americans scored higher than the first group • African-American scores rose to the level of white students • Other studies corroborate these findings Conclusion Stereotype threat can affect the members of just about any social or cultural group, if the members believe that stereotype Steele and Aronson (1995)

5. Causes emotional distress and pressure that may undermine performance • Steele (1997) • Spencer et al (1977) • Stereotype: women are not as strong in mathematics as men • When given a difficult math test • women who were strong in math underperformed compared with equally qualified men • A literature test showed no disparity between the sexes • There was no stereotype threat about literature Spotlight Anxiety

6. Campbell (1967) • Two sources of stereotypes • Personal experience with individuals and groups • Gatekeepers: media, parents, and other members of our culture • Campbell argues that stereotypes have a basis in some reality • The “grain of truth” hypothesis • What are some problems with this hypothesis?? • Attribution errors are common How are stereotypes formed?

7. Hamilton & Gifford (1976) • People see a relationship b/n two variables even when there is none • For example, women’s inferior ability in math • Researchers say that illusory correlation is an example of “cognitive bias” • A person’s tendency to make errors in judgment based on cognitive factors (ie, attribution errors) Illusory Correlation

8. Once illusory correlations are made people tend to seek out or remember information that supports the relationship People tend to overlook information that contradicts what they already believe Confirmation bias

9. Had female college students create a set of questions to ask a person • One group was told the person they would ask was an introvert • The other group, an extrovert • The questions they prepared confirmed their perceptions of who they were to meet • Examples: introvert: “What do you dislike about parties?”; extrovert: “What do you do to liven up a party?” Snyder & swann (1978)

10. Taking on the in-groups ideas • Individuals may conform to the group norms in regards to the out-groups • Rogers & Frantz (1962) • White immigrants to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe today) developed more stereotypes about the locals the longer they stayed • They adopted the social representations of the dominant group Other means of creating stereotypes

11. Elliott in the 1960’s decided to tackle the problem of stereotypes, prejudice, & discrimination A Class Divided Jane elliott