Can Stereotypes Lead to Accurate Perceptions of Others?

[Keny]

ISSUE 16. Can Stereotypes Lead to Accurate Perceptions of Others?

YES: LEE J. JUSSIM, CLARK R. MCCAULEY, AND YUEH-TING LEE, FROM “WHY STUDY STEREOTYPE ACCURACY AND INACCURACY?” STEREOTYPE ACCURACY: TOWARD APPRECIATING GROUP DIFFERENCES (APA, 1995)

NO: CHARLES STANGOR, FROM “CONTENT AND APPLICATION INACCURACY IN SOCIAL STEREOTYPING,” STEREOTYPE ACCURACY: TOWARD APPRECIATING GROUP DIFFERENCES (APA, 1995)

Lee Jussim, Clark McCauley, and Yueh-Ting Lee believe that stereotypes have been stereotyped. Stereotypes are not always inaccurate and do not invariably lead to biased judgments of others, as most social psychologists seem to believe. Charles Stangor draws a distinction between the content accuracy and application accuracy in the use of stereotypes. According to Stangor, even if the content of a stereotype is accurate, applying the stereotype to judge an individual within a group is still likely to yield inaccurate perceptions.