Cognitive bias is a collective term for processes in which an individual’s judgment and decision-making can be affected by the context and framing of information or a situation. One type of cognitive bias is stereotyping, whereby specific traits and attributes are assumed about an individual due to their characteristics, as they are seen as befitting a certain category. For example, assuming that all librarians wear glasses and look relatively bookish is a case of stereotyping. 

This kind of reasoning develops because stereotypes are static, hard to change, and over-generalised convictions about particular groups or types of people. Stereotypes fall into two categories: explicit and implicit.

Explicit stereotypes infer some level of awareness. They are the stereotypes that we are conscious of when making judgements and decisions. People can try to control explicit stereotypes, even though their attempts might not completely work.

Implicit stereotypes, on the other hand, are trickier; they are part of our subconscious and we tend to be unaware of them or lack control over them. For example, many people believe that most males play video games. However, if we take into account mobile phone games, almost half of gamers are female.

Socially, stereotyping carries negative connotations

Socially, stereotyping usually carries negative connotations and is viewed as prejudicial or unfair for valid reasons. Unfortunately, due to stereotypes, we can ignore differences across individuals, which leads us to make sweeping generalisations about others.

Stereotyping can also affect how we treat others, at times leading to the unfair treatment of others due to their gender, skin colour, etc. For example, preferring to hire a male as a driver rather than a female for the only reason that driving is usually considered a male-oriented job, is a case of negative stereotyping.

However, cognitive biases such as stereotypes are not necessarily negative when seen from a scientific point of view. Some scientists suggest that we use stereotypes to help us understand the world around us and that they can be particularly useful in situations that require a quick reaction. This is because they serve as a system of categorisation that helps us to simplify and organise all the various types of information we are constantly bombarded with. Categorised information is more specific, as it highlights distinct characteristics that are common to members of a group.

Through stereotyping, information is more effortlessly recognised, remembered, predicted, and reacted to. Due to this, our brain can use stereotypical information to lessen the time and cognitive effort needed for processing, therefore making it more efficient and less cognitively demanding.

Marthese Borg carried out her doctoral thesis in cognition and language with the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of Malta. She is now a researcher with the Department of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Malta. For more information about our work, see here or e-mail nlp.research@um.edu.mt.

Sound Bites

•        Research now shows that frequent use of devices like smartphones or tablets to calm an upset child (three to five years old) is associated with increased emotional dysregulation, especially in boys. This calming strategy that is often used to defuse stress has been linked to worse behaviour challenges down the road. Researchers found that the use of devices in early childhood displaces opportunities for the development of independent and alternative methods to self-regulate.

•        Researchers have linked the artificial sweetener aspartame to anxiety-like behaviour in mice. Along with producing anxiety in the mice who consumed aspartame, the effects extended up to two generations from the males exposed to the sweetener, according to the study.

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DID YOU KNOW?

•        There are more than 150 identified unconscious biases. The most common ones include affinity bias, performance bias and confirmation bias.

•        While unconscious bias provides an easy way for the brain to make decisions, those decisions could be short-sighted.

•        You can become aware of your unconscious biases through different means, including an Implicit Association Test developed by Harvard University.

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