1. © 2010, John B. Pryor Illinois State University
Stereotypes
© 2010, John B. Pryor
Illinois State University

2. 2 1
List some characteristics you might think that these women would possess

3. 2 3 1
List some characteristics you might think that these men would possess

4. Concepts of beauty vary from culture to culture
Thai Dancer
Indian
Woman
Masai Woman
- Kenya
Woman from
Western Europe
Concepts of beauty
vary from culture
to culture
Zulu Woman

5. Miss America across the decades 80’s 90’s 20’s 30’s 40’s 50’s 60’s
Concepts of beauty vary somewhat over history...
20’s
30’s
40’s
50’s
60’s
Miss
America
across
the decades
70’s
80’s
90’s

6. Miss America 2007
Miss America 2010
Your ideal?

7. What facial features are found most attractive?
Langolis, Roggman, & Musselman (1994)
Evolutionary pressures favor human attributes close to the population
Cognitive processes favor prototypical category members
“Average-is-attractive” hypothesis
Computer average faces are judged as more attractive

8. What is beautiful is good!!
Physically attractive people are perceived as more:
sensitve, modest,
poised, interesting, strong, sociable, kind, warm,
socially adept, and
sexually responsive

9. Beauty & Gender Stereotypes
Handsome men are perceived as more masculine
Beautiful women are perceived as more feminine

10. Method from Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid
Males & females isolated in separate rooms
Both fill out general information questionnaire - Polaroid picture take of male
Experimenter takes up questionnaires
attaches either attractive or unattractive photo of a female to her questionnaire
detaches male photo

11. Method from Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid
Experimenter exchanges male/female questionnaires
Male rates his expectations of female
Male & female interact over telephone
Male rates his impressions of female
Independent judges rate their impressions of the females without hearing what the male said

12. How expectations influence behavior
Male’s Expectation
after Darley
& Fazio
Male’s
Interpretation
Male’s
Behavior
Female’s
Behavior
Female’s
Interpretation

13. Stability of the Attractiveness Stereotype over Lifespan
Newborn infants are assumed to have
more positive characteristics if they are
attractive as opposed to unattractive

14. Newborns don’t show a preference,
but one year olds react more favorably
to attractive than unattractive adults

15. Stability of the Attractiveness Stereotype over Lifespan
People assume that individuals have more desirable personality traits if they are attractive

16. Cognitive Disregard
We deal with strangers by first excluding all who strike us at first glance as “unsuitable” as acquaintances.
Young people exclude middle-aged & old
Middle-aged exclude young
Men exclude unattractive women
The excluded become “invisible”-forgotten

17. Is there a down side to being physicaly attractive?
Other people sometimes attribute an attractive person’s success to good looks
Attractive women often are assumed to be vain & materialistic
Attractiveness is a plus for male politicians, but not female

18. Describe yourself 1. Not at all independent Very independent
2. Not at all emotional Very emotional
3. Very passive Very active

19. Describe yourself 4. Not at all able Able to devote self
to devote self to devote self
completely completely
to others to others
5. Very rough Very gentle

20. Describe yourself 6. Not at all helpful Very helpful
to others to others
7. Not at all competitive Very competitive
8. Not at all kind Very kind

21. Describe yourself 9. Not at all aware of Very aware of
feelings of others feelings of others
10. Has difficulty Can make
making decisions decisions easily
11. Gives up Never gives
very easily up easily

22. Describe yourself 12.Not at all Very self- self- confident confident
13. Feels very inferior Feels very superior
14. Not at all Very
understanding understanding
of others of others

23. Describe yourself 15. Very cold Very warm in relations in relations
with others with others
16. Goes to pieces Stands up well
under pressure under pressure

24. Scoring the PAQ MEDIANS Masculine Scale: Items 1,3,7,10,11,12,13,16
Feminine Scale: Items 2,4,5,6,8,9,14,15
MEDIANS
Males Females
Masculine Scale
Feminine Scale

25. Androgynous Traditional Masculine Traditional Feminine
Above Median
for Feminine
Androgynous
Above Median
for Masculine
Traditional
Masculine
Below Median
for Feminine
Traditional
Feminine
Above Median
for Feminine
Below Median
for Masculine
Below Median
for Feminine
Undifferentiated

27. Androgyny: definition - having characteristics of both sexes Greek roots: andr--man gyne--woman

28. Experimental Design from Andersen & Bem