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How Stereotypes Deceive Us

Puddifoot, Katherine

Authors



Abstract

Stereotypes sometimes lead us to make poor judgements of other people, but they also have the potential to facilitate quick, efficient, and accurate judgements. How can we discern whether any individual act of stereotyping will have the positive or negative effect? How Stereotypes Deceive Us addresses this question. It identifies various factors that determine whether or not the application of a stereotype to an individual in a specific context will facilitate or impede correct judgements and perceptions of the individual. It challenges the thought that stereotyping only and always impedes correct judgement when the stereotypes that are applied are inaccurate, failing to reflect social realities. It argues instead that stereotypes that reflect social realities can lead to misperceptions and misjudgements, and that inaccurate but egalitarian social attitudes can facilitate correct judgements and accurate perceptions. The arguments presented in this book have important implications for those who might engage in stereotyping and for those at risk of being stereotyped. They have implications for those who work in healthcare and those who have mental health conditions. How Stereotypes Deceive Us provides a new conceptual framework—evaluative dispositionalism—that captures the epistemic faults of stereotypes and stereotyping, providing conceptual resources that can be used to improve our own thinking by avoiding the pitfalls of stereotyping, and to challenge other people’s stereotyping where it is likely to lead to misperception and misjudgement.

Citation

Puddifoot, K. (2021). How Stereotypes Deceive Us. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192845559.001.0001

Book Type Authored Book
Acceptance Date Jan 11, 2021
Publication Date 2021
Deposit Date Feb 8, 2021
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Publisher Oxford University Press
ISBN 9780192845559
DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192845559.001.0001