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1/ Since I started studying social psychology more than 20 years ago, my primary area of research has been stereotyping. And while there's a lot more I'd like to say about this, I need to start here:
Stereotyping cannot be society's go-to "tool" to combat stereotyping.
Stereotyping cannot be society's go-to "tool" to combat stereotyping.
2/ Stereotypes are cheap cognitive shortcuts that are being applied willy nilly in discussions of issues worthy of much deeper thought.
And they can too easily by weaponized by adding emotions like moral outrage. It's like adding poison to an arrow.
And they can too easily by weaponized by adding emotions like moral outrage. It's like adding poison to an arrow.
3/ Even if you don't believe (or care) that using stereotypes is destructive or unfair, you should know that using stereotypes is not intellectually rigorous.
4/ Definitions:
Stereotype -- a cognitive association between a category of people (or objects) and a certain characteristic ("Category A possesses characteristic B.")
Stereotype -- a cognitive association between a category of people (or objects) and a certain characteristic ("Category A possesses characteristic B.")
5/ Definitions (cont'd)
Stereotyping -- applying a stereotype/characteristic to an individual because of their actual or perceived membership in that category. ("Individual A possesses characteristic B.")
Stereotyping -- applying a stereotype/characteristic to an individual because of their actual or perceived membership in that category. ("Individual A possesses characteristic B.")
6/ Definitions (cont'd)
Prejudice -- the affective/evaluative/emotional response that is linked to the stereotype. ("I hate individual A because they belong to category A and possess characteristic B.")
The stereotype is the kindling; the prejudice is the match.
Prejudice -- the affective/evaluative/emotional response that is linked to the stereotype. ("I hate individual A because they belong to category A and possess characteristic B.")
The stereotype is the kindling; the prejudice is the match.
7/ Definition (cont'd)
Discrimination -- the predictable behavioral responses to groups & their members based on the content of the stereotype & prejudice. ("I will never work w individual A because I hate them because they belong to category A & possess characteristic B.")
Discrimination -- the predictable behavioral responses to groups & their members based on the content of the stereotype & prejudice. ("I will never work w individual A because I hate them because they belong to category A & possess characteristic B.")
8/ Categorizing people and other objects (books, chairs, houses) is a cognitive shortcut intended to simplify the vast amount of information we are exposed to. We don't have the cognitive capacity to identify and process every individual bit of information that we encounter.
9/ Although categorizing objects is likely inevitable (unless we evolve to become super-computers), when we start categorizing people, we quickly run into faulty thinking, feeling, and behaving. No stereotype accurately represents every member of a group. Period.
10/ We must work harder to avoid using these lazy, destructive shortcuts in our discussions of critically important issues. Ultimately, they cannot improve communication, understanding, or progress.
End (for now)
End (for now)
11/ For a fairly exhaustive paper describing my work and theory on stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, all conducted and written with my brilliant co-investigators Susan Fiske & @peterglick, see:
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/49013872/Warmth_and_Competence_as_Universal_Dimen20160921-3310-1lvtfe0.pdf?1474469634=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DWarmth_and_Competence_as_Universal_Dimen.pdf&Expires=1605474791&Signature=HUmwh5qIXO~J9UkFmgC1agmkSk8axBMiOgC3FvpTAEzvPJIg~1r~8r6KkqDiadNE34k4yCe7nKzP5U3uNMVeCHgJ8X9e3gK3rm-MIl9vRzg5cszpxL0ju23RsRR43mBj-UdgLdEogwpx4oMKrTg9X-qRAWzbN23NjFcoR5XmA7JHl6Ebv7a0Og7CQ2gzW3rYajffHIqp3E06NsNBfMpLizjyxl2pJFFCEkxNQIisH~7kOlOXXG~JFTjZkfrmQSYHwiIhLH0mxXWG5GrykvyLo7uK-9L9Pt8WHhplHJn-mH98Blh4YSeysO6Mkm~3t9pkj--wnkwVUw9DtQB9V2pSSw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/49013872/Warmth_and_Competence_as_Universal_Dimen20160921-3310-1lvtfe0.pdf?1474469634=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DWarmth_and_Competence_as_Universal_Dimen.pdf&Expires=1605474791&Signature=HUmwh5qIXO~J9UkFmgC1agmkSk8axBMiOgC3FvpTAEzvPJIg~1r~8r6KkqDiadNE34k4yCe7nKzP5U3uNMVeCHgJ8X9e3gK3rm-MIl9vRzg5cszpxL0ju23RsRR43mBj-UdgLdEogwpx4oMKrTg9X-qRAWzbN23NjFcoR5XmA7JHl6Ebv7a0Og7CQ2gzW3rYajffHIqp3E06NsNBfMpLizjyxl2pJFFCEkxNQIisH~7kOlOXXG~JFTjZkfrmQSYHwiIhLH0mxXWG5GrykvyLo7uK-9L9Pt8WHhplHJn-mH98Blh4YSeysO6Mkm~3t9pkj--wnkwVUw9DtQB9V2pSSw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
12/ A final, personal note:
I am committed to cleaning up some of my own sloppy thinking about other people. I need to raise my own standards to reduce my use of stereotypes. It's a principle worth standing by, even when it's painful to do so.
I am committed to cleaning up some of my own sloppy thinking about other people. I need to raise my own standards to reduce my use of stereotypes. It's a principle worth standing by, even when it's painful to do so.
