Attitudes towards people

Stereotyping

When we meet someone for the first t ime, we tend to judge them looks the way they dress the way they speak their mannerisms how they greet us

We may ask for information about their age, where they live, which school they go to or the type of music they like.

We build up a view about them that can help guide the way in which we wil l interact with them.

Attitudes towards people

Our initial evaluation of people is conducted very quickly and the first impressions that we develop tend to be lasting ones.

This is called the primacy effect, whereby the initial impression we form of a person is more influential than any later information obtained.

Even though the first impression may not be accurate, it can stil l have a lasting influence.

The Primacy Effect

When we evaluate people, we tend to do so by trying to fit them into a category based on our knowledge of people and the world.

This process of grouping or ‘f itt ing’ people into a category based on what we know about them is called stereotyping.

All individuals in the group have the same characteristics.

Stereotypes = Categories

Pick the stereotype

Pick the stereotype?

A stereotype is a collection of beliefs that we have about the people who belong to a certain group, regardless of individual differences among members of that group.

Definition

They provide us with a general system which guides our interactions with others.

Because it is not possible for us to intimately know everyone we meet, we use stereotypes to assist us in knowing how we should react to new people we meet.

Short cuts

One problem with stereotyping is that stereotypes can be inaccurate.

Stereotypes are often based on incorrect or inadequate information.

Consequently, many social and cultural stereotypes are formed on the basis of l ittle or no empirical evidence.

Problems with Stereotyping

When we stereotype a person as belonging to a particular group, we ignore their individuality.

In particular, we tend to disregard information about the individual that does not fit the stereotype we have of them.

We are more inclined to pay attention to information that is consistent with a stereotype and ignore information that is not consistent with it.

Problems with Stereotyping

A stigma is a negative label associated with disapproval or rejection by others who are not labeled in that way.

I f a social or cultural group is stigmatised , or negatively evaluated, then members of that group can feel l ike outcasts who are devalued, ignored and rejected by others, simply because they are members of the stigmatised group.

Stigma

In the media

Gender stereotypes

Note common beliefs held about each gender in the following ads

Female Male