Since the latter are not consistent with in-group expectations, they are consequently disregarded. Stereotypes serve as a short cut in perceiving and processing information from the complex world around us. This evaluation of others focuses on three aspects of impression formation. Second, newly acquired information tends to be stored and organized in relation to salient group characteristics. Stereotypes affect the manner in which people interact with others of a different race or ethnicity, age group, religious background, or sexual orientation.
Gender stereotypes are also prevalent within mass media.
Considering that 60 percent of American households receive MTV as a part of their cable packages, it is important to analyze its content and the effect of such gender role stereotyping on its audience. Moreover, this ultra-thin, body image of women on television may have detrimental effects on younger female viewers. These impressionable girls may develop low self-esteem, not to mention eating disorders, as a result of such images. Primetime television shows that cast anorexic-looking women include Ally McBeal , The Practice , and Melrose Place . It is difficult to draw causal relationships between body images on MTV and primetime with larger societal problems such as discrimination and eating disorders .