Do Counterstereotype Examples in Films Influence Peoples Stereotypes of African Americans?

Abstract

Due to the higher consumption of social media in the development of technology and the pandemic of Covid-19, social media effects on people were studied. It has been proved that characters in films can influence peoples thoughts, and by showing counter stereotypical role models to children, their gender stereotypes changed in the short term. Since African Americans have constantly been subjected to negative stereotypes in films and everyday lives for a long time, this study proposal aimed to study the counterstereotypes in films and cultural effects on film major students stereotypes by utilising the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and the Implicit Attitude Test (IAT) to measure their explicit and implicit attitudes. Since the study had no chance to carry out, this study predicted the possible results that both Chinese and American students attitudes toward negative racial stereotypes declined after a designed lecture on stereotypes. Conversely, it was also expected that their perspectives might not change because the designed lecture was not practical enough.