ABSTRACT
Most research on gender stereotypes has paid little attention to conceptual and theoretical issues. The content of such stereotypes has received relatively full attention. Recent developments in the area of social cognition, however, have also addressed the structure and basis of gender stereotypes. This chapter explores theories of the basis for psychotherapists’ gender stereotypes for men and women varying in age and race, illustrating the theories with data from the authors' research. It focuses on two quite different models of the process through which perceivers derive their stereotypes: a social role model and “parental imperative” model. The social role model and, more generally, an intergroup-relations model are readily applicable to whites’ stereotypes of blacks in the United States. The parental imperative and social role models lead to similar predictions regarding differential perceptions of younger and old men, but to very different predictions regarding perceptions of younger and old women.
