Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T02:13:10.413Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The inherence heuristic: A key theoretical addition to understanding social stereotyping and prejudice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2014

Rebecca S. Bigler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712. [email protected]@gmail.com
Caitlin Clark
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712. [email protected]@gmail.com

Abstract

Prior work has detailed the constructivist processes that lead individuals to categorize others along particular dimensions (e.g., gender) and generate the content (e.g., stereotypes) and affect (e.g., prejudices) associated with social groups. The inherence heuristic is a novel mechanism that appears to shape the content and rigidity of children's social stereotypes and prejudices.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bigler, R. S., Arthur, A. E., Hughes, J. M. & Patterson, M. M. (2008) The politics of race and gender: Children's perceptions of discrimination and the U.S. presidency. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy 8:130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bigler, R. S. & Liben, L. S. (2006) A developmental intergroup theory of social stereotypes and prejudice. Advances in Child Development and Behavior 34:3989.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bigler, R. S. & Liben, L. S. (2007) Developmental intergroup theory: Explaining and reducing children's social stereotyping and prejudice. Current Directions in Psychological Science 16:162–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bigler, R. S. & Wright, Y. F. (2014) Reading, writing, arithmetic, and racism? Risks and benefits to teaching children about intergroup biases. Child Development Perspectives 8:1823.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, C. M. & Bigler, R. S. (2013) The emergence and trajectory of heterosexist attitudes towards relationships during early childhood. Poster presented at the First International Conference on LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender] Psychology and Related Fields, Lisbon, Portugal.Google Scholar
Martin, K. A. (2009) Normalizing heterosexuality: Mother's assumptions, talk, and strategies with young children. American Sociological Review 74:190207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pettigrew, T. F. & Tropp, L. R. (2000) Does intergroup contact reduce prejudice? Recent meta-analytic findings. In: Reducing prejudice and discrimination: The Claremont Symposium on Applied Social Psychology, ed. Oskamp, S., pp. 93114. Erlbaum.Google Scholar