Stereotypic thinking is a personal tendency to build one’s reasoning in a closed space of frameworks, rather rigid and limited concepts. People with stereotypical thinking in their judgments about the world and its structure are guided by externally given concepts and categories; they do not test them with their own empirical experience. This is not a separate category, because... Stereotyped thinking is characteristic of everyone to varying degrees; even in the first years of life, we receive a huge amount of knowledge about the environment and are guided by it (you need to swim in water, but hot things can burn). The more a person acts stereotypically, the more his psyche is freed from minute-to-minute analysis; everything happens according to a simplified scheme. That is why this category has both negative aspects (lack of one’s own opinion) and positive ones (analysis of simple tasks occurs in a collapsed field of the subconscious, saving mental resources).
Any stereotype is represented by an established system that forms a worldview, and the destruction of one of them often entails the destruction of the stability of the entire picture of the world. When a person lives on well-trodden rails and has an inflexible idea of the world around him, it is much easier for him than for someone who is not so susceptible to stereotyping, but at the moment of a drop in even one understanding of the internal concept, it leads to a huge personal crisis. In general, the stereotypical picture is far from objective, since generalization in it does not allow details to appear, but it is still convenient for the psyche. Such comfortable ignorance explains the zeal with which people defend their limited judgments - this is often not even the stupidity associated with intellectual decline, but the possibility of a threat to personal existence, when all value-semantic foundations and even self-perception collapse.
What are stereotypes?
The word "stereotype" comes from the Greek words "stereos" ("solid") and "typos" ("imprint").
An “imprint” is a mental assessment of an object or phenomenon, and it is “solid” because it is pre-formed in people’s minds. Fact: the mental activity of most individuals is based on stereotypes.
Suppose society has imposed on a person the judgment that all Jews are greedy (there are even plenty of jokes on this topic). And he believes it. There are many similar examples: “difficult teenager”, “stronger sex”, “stupid blonde driving” and many other clichés. Belief in them is stereotypical thinking.
Why are norms convenient?
The standard line of thinking is really convenient. After all, it gives rise to the same behavior patterns in different people. In addition, the stereotyped thinking of society is very beneficial. Because people with standards ingrained in their minds, as a rule, do not have individuality and uniqueness. They are driven into boundaries and live by far-fetched norms. It’s easy to instill in them something additional, to control them, manipulate them, zombie them.
Some stereotypes, of course, have a rational grain. But in our time, even these templates have been altered, distorted and taken to extremes.
How are they formed?
The mechanism for the emergence of a stereotype begins with a person’s lack of experience in a certain issue. Because of his position as a “newbie,” he begins to listen to public opinion. And since, as already mentioned, most people think in stereotypes, he is included in this “majority”. There are exceptions, but this requires either well-developed critical thinking or being surrounded by people who have it.
Stereotypes are often formed in childhood. For example, children are told that men don't cry. The child absorbs this and other information like a sponge, and already in adulthood can pass on his beliefs to his own children. The stereotype is passed on from generation to generation.
Of course, stereotypes do not appear out of nowhere. It just happens that one person once had an experience that made him think about a person, object, etc. in a certain way. Example: a man was a patient of a bribe-taking doctor and began to believe that all doctors are cynical. This judgment then spreads across the entire generation until someone in the family either begins to think differently or becomes a doctor themselves.
Why is it so difficult to get rid of stereotypes? The fact is that the human brain has the ability to save energy. Of course, the easiest way is to use a ready-made template than to study an object in detail.
About individuality
In modern society it is very important not to lose yourself. Especially when the people around you tend to think stereotypically. Sooner or later, a person with a developed and unlost individuality begins to notice that he does not seem to fit the image of the “ideal” person that has developed in society. Those around him do not agree with his views, convince him that he is wrong, one might even say that they are dissatisfied with him.
A vulnerable and sensitive person who really wants to be liked by everyone, as a result of this, begins to lose confidence in himself and his abilities. Complexes may develop, self-dislike, and self-esteem may fall. Many people stop accepting themselves for who they are.
More persistent individuals do not pay attention to the opinions of others. And some even have inflated self-esteem, because they are able to think broadly, while others are limited. Thus, he himself encourages his individuality. People who are unable to do this begin to live as others expect of them, receiving approval in return, but losing their uniqueness.
What types of stereotypes exist?
There are several classifications of society stereotypes. About the criteria for stereotyping and types of stereotypes - below.
| Criterion | Types of stereotypes | Examples |
| subject | collective | "All Americans are fat." |
| individual (may coincide with collective ones, may not coincide) | “All men are the same,” “women can’t drive.” | |
| an object | anthropostereotypes | “Teachers are not wrong”, “Hitler became a dictator because he could not become an artist.” |
| event | “On Lake Gurin, Gurin kept his arable land.” | |
| subject | “Black clothes suit all people,” “civil marriage is living together without registering a marriage.” | |
| type of social group as an object | gender | "Women are the weaker sex." |
| age | “Old women always judge young people.” | |
| professional | “All teachers are failures.” | |
| racial | "Blacks run better than whites." | |
| ethnic/national | “All Russians swear.” | |
| confessional/religious | "All Muslim men beat their wives." | |
| regional | "Ararat is located in Armenia." | |
| class | "Rich people are happy." | |
| political | “Democracy is the key to destruction.” | |
| "us"/"outsider" relationship | autostereotypes | “There will be no feminism in our society.” |
| heterostereotypes | “In Europe there are only people with homosexual orientation.” | |
| “real/estimated” ratio | straight | See auto- and heterostereotypes. |
| portable | “Russians think about themselves” (according to the Germans) | |
| degree of typicality of attributed characteristics | actual stereotypes | Attributed to an entire group of people (see above) |
| counter-stereotypes | Attributed to individual representatives of the group (see above) | |
| according to the content of the affective component | positive, negative | “Russians are hospitable,” “Germans are Nazis.” |
| affirmers, deniers | “People with glasses are obsessed with studying,” “people with schizophrenia are dangerous to society and should be isolated.” | |
| according to the intensity of the emotional charge | intensive | “The symbols of Russia are vodka, bears and balalaika.” |
| medial | "Americans are a naive people." | |
| according to the ratio of structure components | prejudices | "The number 13 brings bad luck." |
| heuristics | “Women are created to bear children” | |
| norms | “Nobody shows up naked on the street.” | |
| traditions | "Brides wear white dresses." | |
| according to the mechanism of formation | deductive | Assimilated by the individual in the process of socialization (see above about doctors) |
| inductive | Arise due to lack of experience (see above about doctors) | |
| according to the terms of formation | intentional | “Women have no place in leadership positions” (a stereotype created by men). |
| spontaneous | “He is married to a fat woman because he has money.” | |
| by the volume of influence on public consciousness and the social unconscious | stereotypes of the world picture | “All mothers are the same: they are very worried about the future of their children” |
| ideological stereotypes | "The world is ruled by Zeus." | |
| thinking stereotypes | “Being on maternity leave is hard labor” (selective thinking). | |
| by degree of variability | ossified | “In old age, many diseases are natural.” |
| flexible | "Men are bad at raising children." | |
| according to the degree of need in everyday life | necessary | Norms (see above). |
| destructive | Biases and heuristics (see above). | |
| according to the degree of adequacy of the reflection of reality | true | “In Russia, people with mental illness are discriminated against.” |
| false | “All Americans are kind, but stupid.” |
Sphere of professions
There are also quite a few templates in it. A professional stereotype is a personified image of a specialty. The concept of image also comes into play here. This is an image that gives a social phenomenon certain characteristics. A kind of “semi-finished product”, designed for speculation by society. The image has a suggestive function, so it often turns into a stereotype. Here are some examples:
- Psychologists know everything about us. Just by one glance they are able to determine what a person is like.
- Teacher. A person who knows everything and can answer almost any question.
- Artist. A person with an interesting, fun and carefree life, with a lot of opportunities, success and prospects.
- Salesman. Definitely a liar. Because he needs to sell the product, which means that even if it is not very good, he will describe it as perfection.
- Journalist. Borzopist. Someone who is ready to publish any misinformation for money.
By the way, often young people, inspired by images and stereotypes about professions, go to get a particular specialty, and then are severely disappointed in reality.
Features of stereotypical thinking and its danger to people
What characterizes stereotypical thinking? Below are its signs:
- Polarity. Dividing everything into black and white is one of the signs of the great influence of stereotypes on a person. According to the person who thinks by them, there are only two types of information: true and false.
- Negative thinking. What is considered in our country to be a realistic perception of the world is in fact, in most cases, pessimism. Negative thinking includes a pessimistic view of future events, selective thinking, and devaluation of positive aspects.
- Overgeneralization. It happens that when a person receives a negative experience in interaction with a person, he develops a negative opinion about others. Labeling is a form of overgeneralization.
- Personalization. This phenomenon occurs when a person considers himself to blame for all the troubles that have occurred.
- Template. A person with stereotypical thinking thinks in a stereotyped way and considers opinions that differ in any way from his to be hostile. He believes that other people should think the same way as him.
Stereotypes are sometimes not as harmless as they seem. Here is their destructive influence:
- A person loses his individuality.
Simply because he thinks in stereotyped ways. Or he does not express his own opinion, fearing the condemnation of the “crowd”. This problem is especially relevant in a collectivist society, in which people from an early age learn that they supposedly need to be “like everyone else.”
Fact: People who are not slaves to stereotypes are often bullied or mobbled.
Example based on real events:
Girl N is different from the others, so she is bullied at school. A classmate decides to talk to her.
- N, do you have your own opinion?
- Yes.
- This is very bad. There must be a herd mentality.
Of course, as an adult, a person can achieve respect due to his remaining strong personality. But, firstly, it is not a fact that this will happen; secondly, most people still adapt to others. This is harmful not only for the person himself, but also for society: will it flourish if everyone becomes a “gray mass”?
- The talent of many people is buried in the ground.
The same applies to both individuals and other people. For example, basketball usually favors tall people. In fact, even a short player can show good results in the game. For example, coach Mugsy Bogza (the shortest basketball player in the world; height - 160 cm) did not succumb to the stereotype that tall people play best and took him to the team. As a result, Mags became one of the leaders in the US National Basketball Association in the number of assists and steals.
- Conflicts and murders.
Racism, discrimination on national, religious and other grounds often lead to wars and genocides. The crippled destinies of different peoples, the extinction of ethnic groups - is this what people want?
- Missing an opportunity to find the right person.
Here it is worth remembering one famous story, partly related to prejudice against people:
Examples
Broad conclusions about a person based on minimal information do not stand up to criticism. Examples of stereotypical thinking can be conclusions about intellectual level - this often applies to blondes (even a huge number of jokes) and athletes (often explained by inability to do something). Such conclusions are enshrined in the popular worldview and, as a result, even after numerous scientific refutations, continue to guide people.
Tourists acquire stereotypical knowledge of countries by seeing them only from a bus window, visiting famous places and listening to historical reports. The real country remains unexplored, because there are practically no locals in tourist places, the cuisine is adapted for Europeans, and everyday life is hidden by historical facades - this is what creates the feeling of the picture. This applies not only to countries, but also to entire nations - the Japanese are considered smart, Russians are careless, and gypsies are considered thieves. These are all examples of stereotypical thinking that relate to the nation, but have nothing to do with a specific person.
A woman freely dismantling a car on the highway causes either surprise or indignation; some may joke that she will break it, and all only because the stereotype of girls’ inability to drive is firmly established. Those who cannot earn enough money on their own consider the rich to be thieves and only because several bribe takers or criminals have been declassified. It is easier for a person to explain someone else’s success by unseemly behavior, and to somehow whitewash himself, than to accept responsibility and take a broader look at what the other did that he himself could not. This also includes the belief that a beautiful girl cannot be smart, and even if she has a PhD, then this is a purchased job, and her position is under the patronage of her lover. This is a vivid example of how the rational mind begins to serve the stereotypical mind, continuing to look for justifications and support for its concept, because otherwise something inside will collapse (excuses, self-image, habitual doing nothing) and a new one will fall in (responsibility, the task of thinking, admitting the impossible, learning other's).
Differences between stereotypes and prejudices
In the formation of a stereotype, the leader is the emotional attitude towards an event or phenomenon: this is good, acceptable, and this is bad, shameful. They are usually imposed by social norms (“if a girl doesn’t shave her armpits, she’s a slob, she should be ashamed”) or arise from one’s own experience (“much of what they teach in school is not useful in life”).
Prejudices reflect distorted, illogical judgments about objects that have no basis. If this concerns an event or phenomenon, we can talk about superstitions. Regarding society, prejudices are manifested by unfounded characteristics of various groups and representatives. They underlie racism, chauvinism, sexism.
A number of psychologists consider these concepts to be identical. However, if some of the stereotypes are formed on the basis of one’s own experience, then prejudices are always unfounded and are perceived without reasoning, on faith. This means that they are synonymous only with those stereotypes that are imposed by society.
What does it lead to?
Stereotypical thinking is aimed at simplifying the thought process, because a person does not need to strain his brain. It is much easier to think with certain cliches rooted in the mind. Templates and clichés form a simplified idea of surrounding objects and phenomena. Predictability of a person’s further actions and the possibility of modeling his behavior appear.
Stereotypic thinking leads to loss of individuality. A person adapts to a certain model of behavior and follows some example. This leads to the depersonalization of others, which interferes with building meaningful relationships.
The stereotyping of the thought process contributes to the awakening of fear due to the fear of condemnation of actions or words by surrounding people. A person is afraid to take any action that goes against generally accepted ideas. He is afraid to express his opinion once again, so as not to lose approval and recognition from society.
How to stop thinking in patterns?
People rarely think about this. As a rule, due to the fact that they do not even consider their thinking to be stereotypical. Simply correct, generally accepted. But some are concerned about this question, they even take a test called “Do you have stereotypical thinking?” (version 1.0). Well, if you really want to fix the situation, you can listen to the following advice:
- You need to learn not to make judgments. For they are labels that limit freedom of perception. How to do it? Just look at the world without judging it. Don't comment - just observe.
- You need to track your movements. This way you will be able to understand which of them are stereotypical and which are not. Every action must be brought into the sphere of awareness. This will help in destroying personal stereotypes, and will also teach you to live in the current moment. What about examples? Here's the simplest one: people are standing near the elevator. They are waiting for him. But the majority will still press the button, knowing that the elevator is already on its way.
- Understand that all people are different. To do this, it is enough to put yourself in their place. You don’t like snakes - imagine that someone just doesn’t like what you have the most sympathy for. There is no need to approve - just accept this fact, understand and not judge.
- Develop your horizons. This is important for anyone who is concerned about how to get rid of stereotypical thinking. The horizons expand, and with it the framework. New knowledge appears, fresh thoughts, food for discussion, and views often change. If this doesn’t get rid of templates, it will definitely expand the boundaries.
Answer
Expert tested
What are communication stereotypes?
Communication stereotypes represent a simplified perception of something. A stereotype is a simple idea that has been formed in advance and has nothing to do with personal experience.
As a rule, stereotypes are formed in traditions and customs. The human brain specifically creates stereotypes in order not to analyze things again. Therefore, if people see glasses, they immediately have an image of an intelligent person who can be trusted. Or people often try to determine the character and abilities of a person by the color of his hair, by ethnicity, by citizenship, and so on.
A stereotype is a way to get to know a person faster and easier. But a stereotype often misleads a person.
A stereotype is always created in the past, from old experience and passed on. There are superficial stereotypes that are formed by appearance, and there are deep ones that do not change for a long time.
