what is a stereotype

A stereotype is a widely held, simplified, and essentialist belief about a specific group of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. Stereotypes are often based on characteristics such as age, weight, occupation, skin color, gender, and nationality. They can be positive or negative, but they are often unfair and untrue beliefs that many people have about all people or things with a particular characteristic. Stereotypes can adversely affect performance, as the perceived threat of being reduced to the stereotype of the group with which one is identified can lead capable individuals within a group to conform to their groups negative stereotype. Stereotypes can also impose limitations on the people they target, assign them roles that are not necessarily suited to them, and make it harder for them to be their true selves.