Categorical Necessity and Utility of Stereotyping and Totemic Thinking: Analyzing and Reviewing the Stereotype EPA Theory, Social Perception Accuracy, and Female Hurricanes
Surprisingly, research scientists, scholars or lay people in the United States or elsewhere tend to see stereotypes as negative and inaccurate. Because stereotypes are regarded as taboos, we are usually told not to use them at all. Further, little research has been done on the relationship between stereotyping and totemic thinking. However, in order to survive and function well through millions of years, our ancestors and modern human beings unconsciously and consciously use stereotypes and totems almost every second of the day, which is consistent with Darwin’s evolutionary science. This article addresses three aspects of the categorical necessity and utility of stereotypes and totems. First, I will address what totemic thinking is and how totems are related to stereotypes theoretically through evolution. Second, I will analyze and review Jussim’s (2012) book on social perception and social reality, which tells us how modern social psychology fails to acknowledge the overwhelming evidence of stereotype accuracy research. Finally, I will critically examine a recent scientific article about gender stereotypes and female hurricanes by Jung, Shavitt, Viswanathan, and Hilbe (2014) in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) of the United States of America. In brief, to function well or even survive, human beings have to count on categorical thinking (including stereotypes and totems) evolutionarily.
