Abstract
Superior cognitive abilities are generally associated with positive outcomes such as academic achievement and social mobility. Here, we explore the darker side of cognitive ability, highlighting robust links between pattern detection and stereotyping. Across 6 studies, we find that superior pattern detectors efficiently learn and use stereotypes about social groups. This pattern holds across explicit (Studies 1 and 2), implicit (Studies 2 and 4), and behavioral measures of stereotyping (Study 3). We also find that superior pattern detectors readily update their stereotypes when confronted with new information (Study 5), making them particularly susceptible to counterstereotype training (Study 6). Pattern detection skills therefore equip people to act as naïve empiricists who calibrate their stereotypes to match incoming information. These findings highlight novel effects of individual aptitudes on social- cognitive processes.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 209-227 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Journal of Experimental Psychology: General |
Volume | 147 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1 2018 |
Keywords
- Cognitive ability
- Pattern detection
- Social cognition
- Stereotyping
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
- General Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience