Final answer:
When people encounter information that is different from their stereotypes, they are more likely to alter their memory for the event than they are to change their stereotypes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is true. When people encounter information that is different from their stereotypes, they are more likely to alter their memory for the event than they are to change their stereotypes. This phenomenon is known as memory distortion or stereotype distortion. Confirmation bias plays a role in this process, where people tend to pay attention to information that confirms their stereotypes and ignore information that contradicts them.
For example, if someone holds the stereotype that older people are bad drivers and then they witness an accident involving an older driver, they may remember that event more vividly and it may further reinforce their stereotype. Even if they are presented with statistics showing that younger drivers actually cause more accidents, their memory of the specific event may still be influenced by their stereotype.