Intersectional stereotypes: How age and race shape perceptions of women in the United States

This study examined the influence of older age and race (White/Black/Arab) on stereotypes of women. To evaluate whether age and race shape stereotype content for an intersectional group relative to its superordinate racial or superordinate older age identities, 525 Amazon Mechanical Turk participants were asked to list up to five words or short phrases that most people associated with these target groups. Overall, the study found stronger support for a distinctiveness hypothesis, whereby the most distinct identity of an individual’s intersectional identity influenced their associated characteristics. For example, because being White is common in the United States, old White women had more stereotypes in common with their old superordinate identity than their White identity. This suggests that the nation’s population characteristics may be predictive of the stereotypes associated with different intersectional groups. Overall, this research reveals the complex interplay between stereotypes of age and race for women, underscoring the need to acknowledge intersectional identities and cultural norms. Such insights can enhance our pursuit of inclusive and accurate societal perceptions.