Stereotypes as Explanations explores the way that people develop impressions and views of social groups.

Preface; 1. Social, cultural, and cognitive factors in stereotype formation Craig McGarty, Vincent Y. Yzerbyt and Russell Spears; 2. Stereotype formation as category formation Craig McGarty; 3. Subjective essentialism and the emergence of stereotypes Vincent Y. Yzerbyt and Steve Rocher; 4. The role of theories in the formation of stereotype content Patricia M. Brown and John C. Turner; 5. Illusory correlation and stereotype formation: making sense of group differences and cognitive biases Mariëtte Bernsden, Russell Spears, Joop van der Pligt and Craig McGarty; 6. Dependence and the formation of stereotyped beliefs about groups: from interpersonal to intergroup perception Olivier Corneille and Vincent Y. Yzerbyt; 7. Four degrees of stereotype formation: differentiation by any means necessary Russell Spears; 8. From personal pictures in the head to collective tools in the world: how shared stereotypes allow groups to represent and change social reality S. Alexander Haslam, John C. Turner, Penelope J. Oakes, Katherine J. Reynolds and Bertjan Doosje; 9. Conclusion: stereotypes are selective, variable and contested explanations Craig McGarty, Russell Spears and Vincent Y. Yzerbyt.