BenVanDerMeer

MadeleineHathaway
SeanDevincenzi
LeaFabianDavies

AnalyzingtheAnalysis
InthearticleHowSelfFulfillingStereotypesCanDragDownPerformance,Shankar
Vedantam(thearticlesauthor)jumpsheadfirstintothemysteriouspitthatmakeupstereotypes.
Hetrieshisbesttomakesenseofalltheconfusionthattheycause.Butisthereanyhopewhenit
comestostereotypes?Orareweashumansjustdoomedtoalwayslivebyourown
preconceptions?
WhenVedantamwrites,hethinksofthegeneralpopulaceashistargetaudience.He
tonesdownmajortechnicalarticlesandputstheminsideofhispieces,asawaytokeepthe
publicinformed.Thatsamajorreasonwhyhedecidedtowriteaboutstereotypethreats.So,this
canletthepublicseeandrecognizethemwherevertheylive,andwhateversocialgroupthey
originatefrom.
Stereotypesthemselvesareveryconfusingtopics.Thatisthemainreasonwhystereotypes
areusedbyhumans.Whydowemakefunofeachotherconstantly?Doesitmakeusfeelbetter
ontheinsideorisitjustourpuremalicetowardeachother?Therearemanystereotypesweuse
thatputdownothers,giveuslowerexpectations,andstereotypesmakethosewhousethemfeel
betteraboutthemselves.

Mostpeople,inaslightlysadisticsense,alsoenjoytowatchpain.Manyhumorousinternet
videosareaboutpeopleoranimalsgettinghurtorhurtingthemselvestogainattention.Thisin
itselfhasbecomeastereotype.Peoplewhomakethesevideoshavebeencategorizedasthatguy
whothrewhimselfoffabuilding.Sohehastocontinuetoincreasethelevelofdangerousnessby
threateninghislifemoreandmore.Themoreattentionhegets,themoremomentumand
confidencehellreceivetohurthimselfthatislifethreatening.
Stereotypinghasamajoraffectonoursociety.Ifweareremindedofastereotype,we
subconsciouslyreacttoit,becauseitissoingrainedintoourverynature.Theysayifsomeone
toldyoutojumpoffabridgewouldyoudoit?Wellyoumightifthatpersonsaiditoverand
overagainforyears.