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MENTAL MODEL · M2136

Stereotype

Stereotype
BehaviorHigh supportSocial Psychology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

An overgeneralized and fixed cognition about a certain social group, ignoring individual differences within the group, often leading to prejudice and misjudgment.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

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In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example, an expectation about the group's personality, preferences,…

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The brain uses categorization to process social information to save cognitive resources; stereotypes are overgeneralizations of category prototypes, reinforced through media and socialization processes, forming stable and stubborn schemas.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StereotypeZH · Explicit
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