Why Do You Think Stereotypes Are True? | Decoded | MTV News

Most people realize that it is wrong to stereotype. But some of these generalizations are so ingrained in our minds through social conditioning that it can be difficult to avoid. You might even start to think they are true! Follow along with Francesca as she breaks down the causes and consequences of stereotyping in this week’s episode of Decoded.

Sources:

The Use of Media in Conditioning the Masses

What Is a Confirmation Bias?

Stereotype Threat: An Overview

The ‘Self-Fulfilling Prophecy’ of Stereotyping Asian American Students

More from MTV News:

[jenniferarmstrong]

As a female gamer who's worked years in video game retail, stereotype threat brought guys breezing past me in the store, asking, "Are there any men working here today?" They assumed I knew nothing. This happened so often that my male coworkers would redirect people back to me, saying, "Sorry buddy, she knows way more about that than I do."

[witchplease]

When I was younger I actually stopped dancing because of the stereotype that all black girls can dance. Since my classmates associated black girls dancing with trashiness, I quit my dance team because I didn't want to be a stereotype. I also stopped eating chicken for a period of time and doing things I enjoyed (such as dying my hair different colors) because I was afraid to look ghetto or stereotypical.

I think part of the reason stereotypes are so harmful is because they make people feel ashamed for enjoying things or doing things that aren't even bad. Stereotypes are ridiculous.

[JustStripperThings]

as a woman in pro wrestling, yes. I found myself performing far more poorly in training run by trainers who kept saying things like "girls can't do this move"... and actually performing the move in a class run by a trainer who treated us all the same.

in large part that is why I quit. that, the politics and sexual harassment that would occur backstage.

[donjon]

Stereotypes can be good ways to do estimation. The problem with stereotyping is not stereotyping itself, but with people thinking that stereotypes are much more accurate than they actually are.

[stevenbrennansilke]

I learn far more from the weekly decoded episodes than I do in a full week of school

[soundfable]

Talking about confirmation bias and stereotyping is important, too. If you already think that white people can't dance, for example, and see white people who can't dance, your brain goes, "Aha! The stereotype is true!" while simultaneously ignoring every other instance where it wasn't true. In other words, your brain retains information that goes along with what you already think and then discards information that doesn't match up with what you think.

[Patrickstarrrrr]

Stereotypes are 100% rooted in reality. Yes, they are oversimplifications, but they exist for a reason. It’s up to the individual to break those stereotypes

[likeliterally]

oh the irony of franchesca talking about being brainwashed by the tv/internet...

[MewMew]

I feel like stereotypes are harmful because I’m 12 and school is hard for being black and not being “ghetto “ and people think I want to be white when I’m just being myself, people think I act “white “ or talk “white” because I’m not ghetto or loud like the other black people or “hot Cheeto” girl act. I’m just like the other black people just being myself . And no I not gonna act “black” because how you act “black “ when you are just being yourself and your already black ?

[smrsnow]

but okay the problem with stereotypes aren't that they're untrue, it's that they're incomplete. stereotypes like black people have rhythm or more serious accusations like they're violent or more likely to steal is dehumanizing a group, not seeing them as individuals. i know you said this but i feel it needs to be more emphasized.

[ruedelta]

Good video. There's also another component to the "Asians are smart" stereotype:

1. Most Asian Americans are Chinese Americans.
2. From the 70s to around the 90s, there was extreme academic selectivity in terms of who could emigrate to the US from China (from both sides of the ocean). The best academic performers were given scholarships to study abroad while immigration policies at the time were still selective in what kind of Chinese could be admitted. As a result, you have a glut of the nerdy Chinese people in the US, who then go on to have kids and transfer their intelligence through a combination of genes and "high achievement parenting."

It's really artificial, but there are other factors influencing the perception, not just the basics of stereotyping.

[stanley]

Stereotypes (generally) are absolutely true. And that's why they're called stereotypes and not jokes.

[jakeseevers]

Is saying all white people are privileged a form of stereotyping?
MTV:"Nope, sorry."
Damn. I thought I was on to something...

[miamorhardstyle]

harold wasnt the med student in Harold and kumar lol...great research

[Naiadryade]

I'm not sure I agree with that assessment of Save the Last Dance. It seemed to me like Sara was depicted as an *excellent* dancer from the beginning--she had just always focused on ballet, and didn't have any exposure to hip hop dancing at the beginning of the movie. Because she was naturally a great dancer, with training and practice she became great at hip hop dancing as well, and merged the two into her own style. Never in the movie did I feel like it sent the message that "white people can't dance."

I might be biased about this though, because it was one of my favorite movies when I was a teen. I'm totally open to friendly debate about the movie. :)

[MrOdinic]

so... stereotypes = bad... unless you're MTV talking about people with white skincolour...?

[Marmocet]

Various studies have shown that stereotypes are often pretty accurate and that people are pretty good at abandoning their stereotype when they encounter a person from the stereotyped group that doesn't fit the stereotype.

[JohnDoe-rsgh]

Because statically, they actually are for the most part.

[mehlover]

As an Asian american, I've been always stereotyped as to being smart especially in STEM classes. Whenever I would talk to my friends and classmates if I got a low test score I would get replies like: "You're Asian aren't you?", "If the Asian got a bad grade then the test was really hard.", "Aren't you supposed to be good at math?", "You got a bad grade on that test, you failed as an Asian", etc. I've been stereotyped for supposedly being smart, especially in math classes. It's been creeping on me subconsciously into my adult years. I ended up going into STEM partially because I felt like i had to live up to the intelligent Asian stereotype.

And OMG thank you for pointing out that we can't distinguish TV from reality. I've been trying to look for information on that. I can't wait to do research on that! Thanks for making this informative video!

[davidmaster]

Stereotypes threat is a poorly documented phenomenon that does not stand up to replication studies. Almost any statistician and a quick browse of the metanalysis will tell you as much