Final answer:
Stereotypes act as narrative filters and distortions that can lead to confirmation bias. They consist of oversimplified beliefs that create an incomplete picture by focusing on a single story, thereby perpetuating biased perceptions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Stereotypes act as filters, narrative and C. Distortions. When we adopt stereotypes, they can distort our perception of individuals and groups, leading to an incomplete and biased understanding. This is because stereotypes often consist of oversimplified and generalized beliefs that don't necessarily reflect the full reality of a person or group. When seeking out information that supports our stereotypes, we are engaged in confirmation bias, which means that we tend to favor information that confirms our preconceived notions and ignore information that contradicts them.
An example of this would be if you hear a negative story about a particular group of people and then insist on only acknowledging similar negative stories. This single-minded focus prevents you from seeing the complete picture and overlooks the many other aspects that could portray a more accurate and diverse narrative. This is the essence of the problem with stereotypes: they're not only potentially untrue, but they're also incomplete, turning one single story into the only story and thereby influencing our thoughts and actions in a prejudiced manner.