This is an outdated version published on December 16, 2024. Read the most recent version.

How cognitive processes shape implicit stereotypes: a literature review

List of Authors

  1. Giulia Lausi
Article Authors & roles Authors Peer review record Peer review Metrics
Cite

Abstract

Stereotypes are fundamental to social cognition, representing the automatic associations and evaluations individuals hold about social groups. Their automatic activation, characterized by rapid and often unconscious processes, makes them resistant to change and persistent across contexts. However, evidence shows that motivated individuals can modulate these processes under certain conditions. This essay explores the mechanisms underlying stereotype formation and maintenance, integrating Clark’s predictive brain model and Hinton’s culture in mind framework to examine how cognitive and cultural factors interact. The predictive brain framework suggests that human cognition operates on Bayesian principles, using prior experiences to predict and interpret stimuli. This aligns with the culture in mind perspective, which emphasizes how cultural norms shape cognitive processes, including stereotypes. These models illustrate how stereotypes arise from the dynamic interplay between individual cognition and broader cultural influences. Key modulators of stereotypes include decision-making, emotion regulation, and motivation. Decision-making often relies on implicit processes, where automatic associations influence behaviour outside conscious control, but neural systems can regulate these effects. Emotional regulation, through the management of arousal levels, can influence the cognitive application of stereotypes, potentially reducing their impact. Motivation drives selective stereotype use, shaped by personal goals and cultural expectations. Understanding the cognitive and cultural roots of implicit stereotypes is crucial for designing effective interventions to reduce inequalities and promote equity in educational, occupational and social contexts, and the cross-sectional approach allows us to understand how different forms of discrimination intersect with each other to reinforce inequalities and strengthen deep-rooted prejudices. This essay aims to be part of the increasingly relevant debate on intergroup dynamics and the creation of a more inclusive and equitable society, emphasising the need for new perspectives and deconstruction of biases in research.

Plain Language Summary

This paper reviews research on how our thinking and cultural background contribute to the creation and persistence of implicit stereotypes, automatic, often unconscious beliefs about groups of people. Drawing on two key theories, the predictive brain model by Andy Clark and the culture in mind framework by Perry Hinton, the paper explores how individual cognitive processes and cultural influences work together to shape dominant ideas about social groups. By combining insights from cognitive and social psychology, the essay highlights how both personal experiences and the broader social environment interact to form and sustain stereotypes. It also examines how different types of discrimination—such as those based on gender, race, or other identities—overlap and reinforce each other, creating stronger inequalities. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing strategies to reduce bias and promote fairness in schools, workplaces, and society. The findings contribute to ongoing discussions about improving intergroup relationships and building a more inclusive world, calling for innovative approaches to challenge and dismantle deep-rooted stereotypes.

Corresponding author
Giulia Lausi
0000-0002-6676-2230
Grant information

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No [101180619](Investigating Gender-Based Discrimination: Unveiling the Underlying Mechanisms [UnveilGBD]).

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Copyright
© 2024 Giulia Lausi (Corresponding Author) Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

First version published
Latest version published

Comments

Authors & roles

Giulia Lausi

Vilnius University Faculty of Law, Vilnius, Vilnius County, 10221, Lithuania

Roles
Corresponding Author, Conceptualization, Funding Acquisition, Writing – Original Draft Preparation, Writing – Review & Editing
0000-0002-6676-2230

Downloads over the last 12 months:

Cited by

via Crossref

View citing articles