Groups are made up of members with the same characteristics. Members of a group are more likely to perceive others as superior or inferior depending on how they view themselves. Mostly, members who belong to a certain group tend to view outsiders …show more content…
It is a major source of material for stereotypical images of various groups. Åkestam (2017), in his research on advertising stereotyping, observes that most of the advertisement in the media have historically portrayed individuals in a stereotyped manner. The author adds that stereotyped advertising reinforces stereotypes that exist in society. For example, women are portrayed in the media as people who are family oriented (Åkestam, 2017). Color has also been used to stereotype men and women. Pink is linked to feminism while blue is mostly associated with men in media advertising. Advertisement in the media contain stereotypes that for you to belong to a certain group, you must buy specific products. Additionally, the mainstream media always present women as individuals who are easily emotional. Therefore, Åkestam (2017) argues that these media portrayals have a significant effect on the way individuals see themselves and others. When the media portrays a certain group as of ethnic, cultural, or social groups negatively, the society is likely to develop prejudice and stereotypes towards that particular group. The media shapes the opinion of the people regarding the way they see themselves, others and …show more content…
There is convergence in the judgment made by group members. In research by Solomon Asch, individuals were asked to judge the length of lines. Most of the feedback was biased towards the previous judgment made by the same group. Social forces in the group influenced their judgement. Markman (2015) observes that people tend to avoid disagreeing with others; thus, they are more likely to modify their judgment to fit in the group.
Subtle stereotyping is a daily belief. Cognitive dissonance refers to the discomfort experienced by individuals when they hold two beliefs at the same time (Timming & Perrett, 2016). They affect the ability to promote social change since people tend to focus more on the negative things happening to them that positive ones; therefore, they may fail to pay more attention to their behavior and feelings. For example, a student is more likely to remember insults from the teacher than congratulations. Also, when people do not feel part of a group they are more likely to behave