Stereotypes function as cognitive structures rather than mere descriptions.

Evidence

One of Allport’s strongest legacies is that he focused social psychologists’ attention on the role of stereotypes, not merely as group descriptions (Lippmann, 1922), but also as cognitive structures that shape thoughts, feelings, and action. He observed that “categorization assimilates as much as it can to the cluster” (p. 20), and he considered the role of categorization on perceptions of both typicality and variability within groups, as well as in terms of between-group differences ( Judd & Park). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 112

Categorization

• XREF: Grounds the standard stereotype-as-cognitive-structure definition used across the vault’s prejudice literature. — connects to: Lippmann coined the term stereotype to describe simplified narratives. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 165
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 112