Higher cognitive abilities linked to greater risk of stereotyping, new study finds
"Superior cognitive abilities are often associated with positive outcomes, such as academic achievement and social mobility," says David Lick, a postdoctoral researcher in New York University's Department of Psychology and the study's lead author. "However, our work shows that some cognitive abilities can have negative consequences -- specifically, that people who are adept at detecting patterns are especially quick to learn and apply social stereotypes." "The good news is we also found that these individuals are better able to diminish their stereotyping when presented with new patterns that challenge existing stereotypical associations," adds co-author Jonathan Freeman, an assistant professor in NYU's Department of Psychology and Center for Neural Science and whose lab Lick works in. The study, which appears in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , also included Adam Alter, an associate professor in NYU's Stern School ...