ABSTRACT
Stereotype research needs to be restructured on foundations of cognitive theory. Stereotypes long had a bad name because of their operation in ethnic and other social prejudices. A more appropriate view has begun to emerge in recent attempts to construe stereotype thinking as normal information processing—but the twin themes of bias and distortion continue to dominate current thinking. Much of what has been interpreted as bias and distortion, however, rests on misconceptions about cognition. Substantial parts of the literature, accordingly, are incorrect or inconclusive.
