reading reflection

Activation and Application, Mitigation, and Social Change

———Chapter 4 only in the book——————-

In the previous chapters you learned about how important categorizing a group member is to prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. In Chapter 4, your authors describe the next steps of the stereotype process to explain HOW AND WHEN stereotypes are applied to others.

One reaction I have after re-reading this chapter us is: there IS A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE to absorb and understand. To that end, I have created a reading reflection for you that will show me that you understand activation and application (#1, below) but also pick a path through the reading that will be useful (#2, below). Part 3 is an effective way to promote social change by choosing a scientifically-backed mitigation strategy to implement

Please make sure that you answer all parts in this reading reflection. Read the entire chapter 4 then reflect on the following

1. First, Activation and Application.

(1a) Describe the difference between stereotype activation and stereotype application conceptually

(1b) Next, provide an example of how a gender stereotype might be activated and applied using the material presented in Figures 4.1 and 4.2 of the text

2. Increase/Decrease. The study of stereotyping, discrimination and prejudice takes a problem-based approach. In other words, social change (the solution) is the end goal of psychological research on bias (the problem). In other words, bias is the problem, social changed using scientifically backed, empirically driven strategies is the solution.

To that end, identify and describe . . .

(2a) five situations that increase stereotype application

(2b) five situations that decrease stereotype application

3. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Summarize how you (yes YOU!) can reduce application of stereotypes when perceiving members of stereotyped groups according to the research evidence presented in this chapter.

Note: It may make it easier to choose a specific stereotype (race, gender, class, or any other group) and answer the question in the context of that specific stereotype.