In: Psychology
Explain why stereotypes are formed and used.
A stereotype is defined as a mental representation. It is a form of social categorization made about specific individuals or a group and its members. Once a set of characteristics is used to describe a group of people, those characteristics are often attributed to all members of the group, thus affecting the behaviour of the people or individual who hold the stereotype, and those who are labelled by a stereotype. It is formed because of the following reasons: