Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Key Takeaways

• Beliefs about the characteristics of the groups and the members of those groups are known as stereotypes.
• Prejudice refers to an unjustifiable negative attitude toward an outgroup.
• Stereotypes and prejudice may create discrimination.
• Stereotyping and prejudice begin from social categorization - the natural cognitive process by which we place individuals into social groups.
• Social categorization influences our perceptions of groups - for instance, the perception of outgroup homogeneity.
• Once our stereotypes and prejudices become established, they are difficult to change and may lead to self-fulfilling prophecies, such that our expectations about the group members make the stereotypes come true.
• Stereotypes may influence our performance on important tasks through stereotype threat.