Final answer:
Stereotypes develop through overgeneralization and confirmation bias, ignoring individual variations within a group. In-group bias further reinforces stereotypes, leading to prejudice and discrimination.
Step-by-step explanation:
People commonly develop stereotypes about a group through overgeneralization of a specific belief or assumption, which is often based on a few, sometimes exceptional, observations. These stereotypes do not take into account individual characteristics and are applied to all members of a group. For example, if someone believes that older adults are slow and incompetent, this stereotype may stem from limited interactions with a few older individuals and then inappropriately applied to all older people, without considering their unique abilities and characteristics.
Furthermore, the persistent nature of stereotypes and prejudices can be attributed to confirmation bias, where a person only pays attention to information that supports their stereotype and ignores evidence to the contrary. This makes stereotypes self-reinforcing. For instance, seeing an older person in an accident may confirm a stereotype that older people are bad drivers, even though statistics show that younger drivers cause more accidents.
In-group bias also plays a role in the development of stereotypes. This bias is a preference for one's own group, which can lead to prejudice and discrimination because the out-group is perceived as fundamentally different and less valued than the in-group. The way we perceive and treat individuals based on these stereotypes can have real-world impacts, such as in decisions made during a job interview or social interactions.