Stereotypes persist both from cognitive limits and from identity-serving motivations.

Evidence

As key tools in people’s dealings with the social environment, stereotypes are likely to prevail not only when perceivers lack the ability and motivation to deal in a scrupulous and impartial way with the stimuli they encounter, but also when they are attached to a particular interpretation of the world or are otherwise frustrated in their pursuit of a positive view of themselves and their reference groups. — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 1184