10 Facts About Media stereotypes

Early studies suggested that Media stereotypes were only used by rigid, repressed, and authoritarian people.

Yet another perspective suggests that Media stereotypes are people's biased perceptions of their social contexts.

Once Media stereotypes have formed, there are two main factors that explain their persistence.

One explanation for why Media stereotypes are shared is that they are the result of a common environment that stimulates people to react in the same way.

Some psychologists believe that although stereotypes can be absorbed at any age, stereotypes are usually acquired in early childhood under the influence of parents, teachers, peers, and the media.

Patricia Devine, for example, suggested that Media stereotypes are automatically activated in the presence of a member of a stereotyped group and that the unintentional activation of the stereotype is equally strong for high- and low-prejudice persons.

Agerstrom and Rooth showed that automatic obesity Media stereotypes captured by the Implicit Association Test can predict real hiring discrimination against the obese.

For example, in a school when students are confronted with the task of writing a theme, they think in terms of literary associations, often using Media stereotypes picked up from books, films, and magazines that they have read or viewed.

The instantly recognizable nature of Media stereotypes mean that they are effective in advertising and situation comedy.

In literature and art, Media stereotypes are cliched or predictable characters or situations.