Stereotyping is associated with fixed, unchanging points of view based on generalizations and results from the fact that, in his life, a person encounters many different personalities and groups about which he has little information. A stereotype reaction is not based on first-hand information about an individual, but rather on perceived cultural affiliations. It is basically an emotional response that tends to distort message decoding and interfere with understanding of persons and messages. An individual perceived to be from a different social or cultural group will be stereotyped as having the same personal traits as those perceived to be "typical" of the group as a whole. Changes in stereotype perception are directly related to actual changes in the nature or structure of social or cultural groups instead of direct, sensory knowledge about individuals. (RN)
