Stereotypes / Pedro Bordalo, Nicola Gennaioli, Andrei Shleifer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Bordalo, Pedro.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Gennaioli, Nicola.

Shleifer, Andrei.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w20106.

NBER working paper series no. w20106

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2014.

Summary:

We present a model of stereotypes in which a decision maker assessing a group recalls only that group's most representative or distinctive types relative to other groups. Because stereotypes highlight differences between groups, and neglect likely common types, they are especially inaccurate when groups are similar. In this case, stereotypes consist of unlikely, extreme types. When stereotypes are inaccurate, they exhibit a form of base rate neglect. They also imply a form of confirmation bias in light of new information: beliefs over-react to information that confirms the stereotype and ignore information that contradicts it. However, stereotypes can change - or rather, be replaced - if new information changes the group's most distinctive trait. Applied to gender stereotypes, the model provides a unified account of disparate evidence regarding the gender gap in education and in labor markets.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2014.