Social Stereotyping Project Brief

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Project Brief

Name: Rory Gilbert

Centre: North Leamington School

Candidate number: 2091

Title of Work:

PB1:        Identify the aim of the research and state the experimental/alternative hypothesis/es.                                         (Credited in the report mark scheme)

To investigate the effect of clothing trends on implicit personality theories as measured by participants rating of trustworthiness on a scale of 1-5, 1 being trustworthy, 5 being untrustworthy.

The experimental hypothesis is “Clothing Trends will affect implicit personality  theories and cause participants to score a “chav” lower on a trustworthiness test than a “formally dressed person””

And the Alternative Null hypothesis is “There is no significant effect of clothing trends on implicit personality theories and any significant effects are down to chance”

PB2:        Explain why directional or non-directional experimental/alternative hypothesis/es has been selected.                                                (1 mark)

The hypothesis I have chosen for this study is directional, I chose this because I believe that the clothing style of a so called “chav” will be stereotyped in the minds of our participants to have negative personal attributes when compared with the same person dressed in formal office wear. Previous research into this has shown that “the inferential process leads to participants forming implicit personality theories (stereotypes)” Bruner and Tagiuri.

I have selected for the hypothesis to be directional, because, ultimately, I am predicting a specific direction, that “chavs” will be rated less trustworthy than someone dressed formally.

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In the media today is a lot of controversy and emphasis on ‘chavs’ and their culture.

Chav is a mainly derogatory slang term in the United Kingdom for a subcultural stereotype fixated on fashions derived from American Hip-Hop (African-American) and Guido (Italian-American) fashions and stereotypes such as gold jewellery and designer clothing combined with elements of working class British street fashion. Chavs are generally considered to have no respect for society, and to be ignorant or unintelligent.”

I wish to investigate whether this media commentary could prove influential and also to see if this stereotype holds true in my target ...

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