Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies

Stereotype Threat and Self-fulfilling Prophecies

When we hold a stereotype about a person, we have expectations that he or she will fulfill that stereotype. A self-fulfilling prophecy is an expectation held by a person that alters his or her behavior in a way that tends to make it true. When we hold stereotypes about a person, we tend to treat the person according to our expectations. This treatment can influence the person to act according to our stereotypic expectations, thus confirming our stereotypic beliefs. Research by Rosenthal and...

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who...

Stereotype Content Model

Stereotype Content Model

The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) was first proposed by Susan Fiske and her colleagues (Fiske, Cuddy, Glick & Xu, 2002; see also Fiske, 2012 and Fiske, 2017). The SCM specifies that when someone encounters a new group, they will stereotype them based on two metrics: warmth—or that group’s perceived intent, and how likely they are to provide help or inflict harm—and competence—or their ability to carry out that objective. Depending on the warmth-competence...

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...

Confirmation Biases

Confirmation Biases

The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?

Implicit Personality Theories

Implicit Personality Theories

Implicit personality theory explains how individuals make assumptions about the relationships between personality traits, behaviors, and character types. When people learn that someone possesses a particular trait, they tend to infer the presence of other related characteristics, forming a cohesive impression. This cognitive shortcut plays a crucial role in social interactions and interpersonal judgments.Central Traits and Their InfluenceSolomon Asch's seminal 1946 study highlighted the power...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

The self as an image: Appearance and belief in visual representations of one's own face.

Cognition·2026

Same author

Learning affect norms: Implications for predictions, experiences, and social judgments.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2026

Same author

Prior Exposure to others Shapes Interpretations of Emotional Facial Expressions.

Affective science·2026

Same author

Network co-activation relates to executive function following pediatric traumatic brain injury.

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society : JINS·2026

Same author

Less is more: Aesthetic liking is inversely related to metabolic expense by the visual system.

PNAS nexus·2025

Same author

Intentional use and self-efficacy as distinct facets of impression management and their relationships with socio-motivational, cognitive, and mental health factors.

Scientific reports·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 22, 2025

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Published on: January 24, 2020

Avoidance begets avoidance: A computational account of negative stereotype persistence.

Suraiya Allidina¹, William A Cunningham¹

¹Department of Psychology.

Journal of Experimental Psychology. General

|August 30, 2021

Summary

Avoidance behaviors, stemming from initial negative social interactions, can perpetuate inaccurate stereotypes by limiting information and reinforcing avoidant actions. This can compound negative impressions of entire social groups.

More Related Videos

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Published on: May 14, 2014

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 22, 2025

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing

Published on: January 24, 2020

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Irrelevant Stimuli and Action Control: Analyzing the Influence of Ignored Stimuli via the Distractor-Response Binding Paradigm

Published on: May 14, 2014

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Investigating Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior using a Robotic Arm-Reaching Paradigm

Published on: October 3, 2020

Area of Science:

Social Psychology
Cognitive Science
Behavioral Science

Background:

Stereotype formation research often emphasizes motivation and cognitive efficiency.
Alternative explanations for stereotype formation are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how approach and avoidance behaviors in social learning contribute to stereotype formation.
To understand the mechanisms by which avoidance perpetuates stereotypes.

Main Methods:

Five experimental studies were conducted.
Research involved social learning paradigms examining approach and avoidance.
Computational models analyzed reinforcement histories.

Main Results:

Initial negative interactions with group members led to avoidance of the entire group.
Avoidance restricted information acquisition, hindering belief updating.
Avoidance behaviors were self-reinforcing, increasing future avoidance.
Evidence suggests a dissociation between avoidant behavior and explicit beliefs.

Conclusions:

Avoidance behaviors can perpetuate inaccurate negative stereotypes.
Initial social interactions have a compounding effect on group impressions.
Understanding avoidance is crucial for addressing stereotype maintenance.