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Published on: January 22, 2016
Stereotypic beliefs dominate reversal learning
McLean G Morgan1, Marius Golubickis2, Parnian Jalalian3
1Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada. mac.morgan@mail.utoronto.ca.
Scientific Reports
|August 7, 2026
Summary
People learn and retain information aligning with stereotypes more easily than counterstereotypic information. This suggests stereotypes significantly impact belief updating and decision-making processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Computational Neuroscience
Background:
- Stereotypes influence how individuals process social information.
- Understanding the acquisition of stereotype-related information is crucial for addressing discrimination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics of person learning concerning stereotypic versus counterstereotypic information.
- To determine how readily individuals acquire information that confirms or contradicts stereotypes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a probabilistic reversal-learning task.
- Employed computational modeling to analyze learning dynamics.
- Presented participants with targets exhibiting both stereotypic and counterstereotypic behaviors (e.g., food preferences).
Main Results:
- Participants learned stereotypic outcomes faster and more accurately than counterstereotypic ones.
- Stereotypic responses were more likely to be repeated after positive reinforcement.
- Learning was slower to adapt to new contingencies when outcomes were counterstereotypic.
Conclusions:
- Stereotypes demonstrate significant potency in shaping learning and information processing.
- Updating beliefs that contradict established stereotypes presents a considerable challenge.
- Findings highlight the pervasive influence of stereotypes on cognitive processes and decision-making.
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