The Formation and Maintenance of Stereotypes Through Communication

Abstract

Stereotypes are culturally shared beliefs about social groups. Although many stereotypes may be formed on the basis of hearsay, and often maintained through our everyday conversations, little is known about how they are formed, maintained, and transformed through interpersonal communications. This project examines this question with a view to developing a social psychological theory of how culturally shared beliefs may be formed, maintained, and transformed, especially when they can have undesirable consequences such as prejudice and discrimination.