Stereotypes in Elections: Accuracy, Malleability, and Triggers

Dual process models in cognitive psychology posit that people make 
decisions either reflectively or intutively. In elections, intuitive 
decision making can lead to voting based on social categorizations 
(stereotypes). This talk considers the role of stereotypes in electoral 
decision making. It presents results from past as well as ongoing 
research on (1) the accuracy of stereotypical judgments based on "thin 
slices" of information, (2) the potential to reduce stereotype-based 
voting by exposing voters to disconfirming examples, and (3) potential 
moderators of the effect of stereotypes in elections.