Throughout history, stereotypes have been detrimental to those whom they generalize. Most often applied to minorities, or those who are not in power, stereotypes help justify fear, mystery, and hatred of these demographic groups. Associate professor of applied psychology at New York University, Joshua Aronson discussed the impact of stereotypes on people's day-to-day operations and feelings with BU Today, finding that stereotypes can be severely dangerous. According to Aronson, stereotypes can severely impact the learning ability and day-to-day activities of those who fall victim to the generalizations. For instance, Aronson found that African American children perform at about the same level as white children when they are young, but as they grow older, the gaps between test scores increase. Aaronson concludes that this is because the African American children are exposed to stereotypes about themselves, and feel doomed to perform poorly ("The Impact of Stereotypes").
             Although Aronson notes that every ethnic group, demographic group, or virtually any section of the population, is vulnerable to stereotyping, he notes that, in the United States, the generalizations are most often applied to "blacks and Latinos and to women." In fact, the professor goes on to name one stereotype that women often have to deal with-the feeling that they are not intelligent ("The Impact of Stereotypes"). In fact, gender stereotyping has been occurring for centuries. Often these gender stereotypes are consistent with gender roles. For instance, the beliefs that women are motherly, gentle, and sensitive are stereotypes that are inspired by traditional gender roles, the gender roles of mother and caregiver. Current stereotypes related to women also define them as sex symbols, loose, and interested in beauty in fashion. Theses stereotypes come, in part, from contemporary media strengthened women's gender rol...