Analyze Why People Stereotype Others

Question

Examlex · Accepted Answer

The Answer is Varies. The two goals of stereotyping are comprehension and self-enhancement. When we meet a new person, our brains want to fill in assumed information because it likes predictability and consistency. Therefore, we use stereotyping to comprehend or understand the person until we have the true information about them. Stereotypes for comprehension purposes may be positive or negative. In contrast, when we stereotype for self-enhancement purposes, the stereotypes are often negative and we do it to make ourselves feel better by denigrating another group. Regardless of which purpose one is using to stereotype, the implications are often the same. We perpetuate the old stereotype that may be untrue, potentially leading to feelings and thoughts about the person based on untrue stereotypes. We also add to the broader, systemic implications of stereotypes, including limiting groups of people and discrimination.

Analyze Why People Stereotype Others

Definitions: