PSYC12H3 Chapter 2: c12.Chapter 2.docx
Document Summary
Stereotyping was once regarded as a sign of the moral deficiency of the stereotype, or even as an indicator of repressed unconscious hostility however; Found that the human brain seems to almost automatically classify or categorize similar objects in the environment. Most researchers now regard stereotyping as a natural consequence of cognition. Because humans have a limited-capacity cognitive system that cannot simultaneously process all the available information in our social environment. We categorize on the basis of shared features, or even shared time and space. We categorize based on race, gender and age these are the most immediate and obvious features of an individual and yield information about useful distinctions in social behaviour between those in different groups. Outgroups: groups to which we do not belong. It appears that people tend to perceive and remember information in terms of race categories and not in terms of the individual identity ex. Study recalling particular comments made by an individual.
