Stereotypes

Abstract

Stereotypes are a problem which exists in everyday society.

The aim of this experiment was to explore the stereotypes which are expressed in social classes.

The experiment was conducted by one year 11 psychology class, which involved four participants in the hands on experiment.

Two participants were dressed untidy, & two were dressed tidy.

Each participant enquired to randomly chosen people, the same question;” excuse me, do you have the time?”

It was hypothesized that the two tidy participants would receive more positive reactions that the two who were dressed untidy.

This however was not always the case, as each participant received different reactions that may not have been just determined on the way they were dressed.

Introduction

Stereotypes are a problem which exist in everyday society. Stereotypes are defined are ideas held by some individuals about members of particular groups based solely on membership in that group. They are often used in a negative or prejudicial sense and are frequently used to justify discriminatory behaviors.

Stereotypes can either be positive or negative, but all are unfair and misleading; they do not account for the fact that human beings are complex, with complex and unique attributes.

However stereotypes help us make sense of our world by giving it order. They provide us with a general system which guides our interactions with others. Because it is not possible for us to intimately know everyone we meet, we use stereotypes to assist us in knowing how we should react to the new people we meet.

Although there may e some characteristics of stereotypes that are correct, stereotypes are often inaccurate. .When we stereotype a person as belonging to a certain group, we ignore their individuality. Therefore disregarding information about the individual that does not fit the stereotype we have formed of them.

People are more inclined to pay attention to information that is consistent with a stereotype and ignore information that is not consistent.

Often things are presumed about people because of the way in which they have been stereotyped.

By doing this, order and structure is brought to the impressions we have of people.

In this experiment, in which stereotypes of social class were explored, it was hypothesized that the two neatly dressed participants would be treated in a considerably more positive way, that the two participants that were dressed in an untidy way.

Method

Participants; The participants of this study were four year 11 psychology students from Ballarat High School.

These students were aged between 16 & 17.Three were female, and one male.

Two of these participants were dressed in tidy, professional looking outfits, and two were dressed in untidy and dirty outfits.

Procedure;

•Students met in psychology classroom at 9am.

•Two of the participants dressed in tidy outfits and two dressed in untidy outfits.

•Once at the shops, two participants ; one tidy and one untidy walked into Safeway, Howitt St and asked randomly chosen customers “excuse me do you have the time?” and then observed there reactions.

•The other two participants proceeded down the Howitt St shops, and asked the same question” Excuse me, do you have the time?”, but to different individuals.

•The participants