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Are stereotypes accurate? A perspective from the cognitive science of concepts

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2017

Lin Bian  and
Andrei Cimpian
Lin Bian
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820. linbian2@illinois.eduhttp://www.psychology.illinois.edu/people/linbian2
Andrei Cimpian
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003. andrei.cimpian@nyu.eduhttp://cimpianlab.com
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Abstract

In his 2012 book, Jussim suggests that people's beliefs about various groups (i.e., their stereotypes) are largely accurate. We unpack this claim using the distinction between generic and statistical beliefs – a distinction supported by extensive evidence in cognitive psychology, linguistics, and philosophy. Regardless of whether one understands stereotypes as generic or statistical beliefs about groups, skepticism remains about the rationality of social judgments.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e3
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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