Blog Topic #7 Perceptions

Just fill in the blanks
Every ethnic group is plagued by inaccurate stereotypes. First things first, let’s be real honest about one thing: we all stereotype. For example, say you’re running late to attend a conference and you get lost. You see two groups of people walking by in the hallway. Who would you rather stop to ask for directions to the conference? Most you ask directions from someone who looks like you. One benefit stereotyping has is to simplify our lives by helping us make split-second choices. It’s snap mental shorthand for making decisions. When you have run out of the necessary time to make an educated decision about something you rely on stereotypes to fill in the missing ingredients; in this case it is information.
Our classroom activity regarding two truths and one lie played into this very concept of snap judgment. From an evolutionary viewpoint, a bias toward the negative makes perfect sense. When we see a warning sign in something we are unfamiliar with, we learn and remember what is safe from what is unsafe. Science has shown that people are able to pick an angry face out of a crowd of happy faces faster than selecting a happy face out of a crowd of angry faces. As a means of self-protection we want to be alerted to danger so that we are primed for action.
When I told my lie I primed and laced it with a grain of truth, and used the stereotype of class and ethnicity in my favor. I peppered my lie with the belief that African American women are always angry, and if given an appropriate opportunity can react violently.
So stereotypes can work as an advantage for those who understand how to use them as a competitive advantage. A “stereotype" simply is a generalization about a person or group that we know very little about. In the case of the classroom activity we were perfect candidates because we knew little about each other; outside of the visual obvious. We cultivate stereotypes when we are unable or unwilling to obtain all of the information we would need to make fair judgments about people or situations. When the "total picture,” is missing stereotypes in many cases allow us to "fill in the blanks."
Yes, I have worked as a nurse and statistically patients are more likely to injure nurses as opposed to nurses injuring patients.