... natural function of the human mind- something that we all do in order to survive mentally in the confusing world around us. The following theory explains how it works. Representation- How we stereotype: Implicit Personality Theory Finish the phrases below: 1. John is energetic, eager and (intelligent/stupid) 2. Julie is bright, lively and (thin/fat) 3. Joe is handsome, tall and (flabby/muscular) 4. Jane is attractive, intelligent and (likeable/unpleasant) 5. Susan is cheerful, positive and (attractive/unattractive) If you compare your answers with those of others, the chances are that they will be exactly the same. There is no logical truth based reason for this- it is simply part of the way that we stereotype. The fact that we naturally see the world in this kind of shorthand way with connections between different character traits, allows the media to create simplistic representations which we find believable. Implicit personality theory explains this process. As humans we use our own unique ...

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