Stereotype Information Encoding And Mental Representation Of The Way Experimental Research

Since the 1970s, stereotype is regarded as a cognitive structure which can influence the way of information processing, research also mainly focus on how it to happen as a cognitive structure, especially the cognitive structure is how to influence coding, judgment, reasoning and decision-making processes of subsequent information exactly, and group consciousness and behavior between members. According the current research status of stereotype, research around the stereotype of cognitive processing mainly concentrates in the stereotype of information encoding and storage of cognitive processing mechanism. In the stereotype information encoding schema field, it gradually has formed three main models, which are Filter Model, Lenovo Network Model and Flexible Coding Model; in the stereotype psychological representation field, the research gradually has emerged three core theories of Prototype Model, the Exemplar Model and Mixed Model. But researchers has still have differences and controversy after analyzing main kinds of views and exploring the conclusion, and they have not agreed with the consensus to controversial theoretical problems. The issue raised in this paper and experimental study are based on comparing some of the distinction between these theories controversial.To discussing information coding method of stereotype, this paper is mainly around different cognitive resources, and studies the differences between informations. Filter Model and Lenovo Network Model both agree that in low cognitive resources situation, individual inclines to consistent information encoding and curb completely inconsistent information processing, and in high cognitive resources situation, the two appear dispute, they respectively support consistent and inconsistent information encoding in stereotype. Flexible Coding Model although not involves in information encoding under high cognitive resources condition of stereotypes, but it pointed out that in low cognitive resources, consistent information and inconsistent information are all promoted with the concept of information encoding and consciousness information coding. At this point, Flexible Coding Model has fundamental differences with other models. According to the divergence of information encoding, this study by creating high cognitive resources situation investigates the consistent and inconsistent information encoding; through the manipulation of the lower cognitive resources,it investigates consistent information and inconsistent information encoding process and differences between them. Through the research and logic thinking, the paper can not only effectively distinguish three theoretical models, and also solve the dispute between coding model theories.Through the comparison, the main differences are found in Prototype Model and the Exemplar Model, they each support abstraction prototype and sample information is the only way for characterizing the stereotype, completely denies the existence of another kind of information. Mixed Model integrated the two kinds of models, it points out the specific sample and prototype both exist in different conditions can be obtained by introducing the concept of "knowledge increasing", and the individual characteristics as abstract information or knowledge representation rely on the goal of perception experience. In the low level of experience, the stereotypes formed by activating the initial sample, and when the experience increased, the stereotypes formed by abstract concepts. The model conforms to the individual information processing regularity, and can explain more data. But the model itself remains in doubt and worth deliberate on information:1,the different stages of characterization ways; 2, the influence of knowledge increasing and kinds of knowledge to the type of characterization. These doubts on the model is not clear, and didn't get support about existing empirical research and data, so this paper probes on empirical research to clarify. The research beside analyze the controversy in characterization domain, also conduce to distinguish the different stage of stereotypes and explicit knowledge representation of characterization.Based on the distinguish controversy in stereotype information encoding and mental characterization domain, this research points out the research purpose clearly, and research hypotheses and the main tasks, and puts forward a feasible empirical research to test research hypotheses, and distinguish theoretical models. In this study,191 subjects have been selected, gender stereotype has been chosen as the experimental content, and experimental materials of stereotype to measuring stereotype information have been encoded. The paper attempts to use four experiments to analysis the main theoretical divergence between information encoding and psychological representation in stereotype theories, and to provide the key and clues to resolve main problem; The paper wants to clear the basic process and cognitive processing general model of stereotype, thereby it can provide more powerful explanation for members of the group information processing and the individual consciousness and behavior. In order to solve the dispute, this study will start by two paradigms in experiments, study the methods in the stage of stereotype activating in the information processing; whether knowledge and knowledge type would affect the perception of subsequent stereotype judgment.This research is divided into three parts, the first part is a forecast to formal experiments, which is used in selecting and predict its applicability test to gender stereotype pairing information and professional gender reading materials, and to promote the finish of the key task. By creating the situation of high level cognitive resources, the second part probes into information encoding in different situations and influence to stereotype, and solve the dispute in stereotype coding theory. The part includes experiment 1 and 2. After exploring the method of stereotype representation, the third part further characterized the change of stereotype representation by increasing different types of knowledge, and solves major theoretical disputes in psychological representation. The part includes experiment 3 and 4. Through the four experiments, this paper has not only separately analyzed theoretical conflict in field of coding and representation, but also promoted the combination of coding and representation as a basic, continuous process in cognitive processing for stereotype.The conclusions of this study shows:(1)When there are higher cognitive resources, individual tend to use concept coding to inconsistent stereotype information. The richer the cognitive resources are, the higher correctness and depth degree of coding processing is.(2)When there are lower cognitive resources, consistent and inconsistent information encoding are all exist. Individuals adopt concept encoding and perceptual encoding to consistent stereotype and inconsistent stereotype.(3)When stereotype forms, certain initial sample are activated more faster to individuals, and specific information are token in long-term memory.(4)In the subsequent information processing, prototype stereotype is as information abstraction of main basis.(5)No matter knowledge is increased or not, it only influence to the representation of abstract stereotype information. The increasing of abstract knowledge generates more abstract generalization of information to individuals.