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Choosing the right level of analysis: Stereotypes shape social reality via collective action

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2017

Ben M. Tappin ,
Ryan T. McKay  and
Dominic Abrams
Ben M. Tappin
Affiliation:
ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom Ben.Tappin.2015@live.rhul.ac.uk Ryan.McKay@rhul.ac.uk http://tinyurl.com/ryan-mckay School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NP, United Kingdom D.Abrams@kent.ac.uk https://www.kent.ac.uk/psychology/people/abramsd/index.html
Ryan T. McKay
Affiliation:
ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, United Kingdom Ben.Tappin.2015@live.rhul.ac.uk Ryan.McKay@rhul.ac.uk http://tinyurl.com/ryan-mckay
Dominic Abrams
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NP, United Kingdom D.Abrams@kent.ac.uk https://www.kent.ac.uk/psychology/people/abramsd/index.html
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Abstract

In his 2012 book Jussim argues that the self-fulfilling prophecy and expectancy effects of descriptive stereotypes are not potent shapers of social reality. However, his conclusion that descriptive stereotypes per se do not shape social reality is premature and overly reductionist. We review evidence that suggests descriptive stereotypes do have a substantial influence on social reality, by virtue of their influence on collective action.

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Open Peer Commentary
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Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 40 , 2017 , e13
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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