Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Psychology

Abstract

The current paper integrated Fiske and colleague’s (2002) Stereotype Content Model (SCM) with the implicit theoretical approach to investigate the stereotyping process against obese individuals. Two studies evaluated the proposition that implicit theories of weight, the belief that weight is fixed (entity theorist) versus malleable (incremental theorist), and implicit person theories, the belief that human attributes are fixed or malleable, will predict how people categorize and discriminate against obese individuals. A pilot study found that entity and incremental theorists of weight have equal knowledge of societal stereotypes against obese individuals. Study 1 revealed those whose endorse an entity theory of weight are less likely to hire an obese individual in a hypothetical scenario, because they perceive them as less sincere.

Included in

Psychology Commons

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