Figure 1.

Illustration of dimension weighting in social categorization.

Note. This model outlines how perceivers go from receiving sensory input about a target to making a judgment about the target by way of social categories. Perceivers use a target’s features to place them along a variety of potential dimensions, which are largely societally determined. These dimensions are then differentially weighted to produce a categorical conception of the target that the perceiver uses to make judgments and predict relevant outcomes. Structurally derived motivations aim to maintain the link between a particular outcome (here, criminality) and a potential category (e.g., Black). To do so, these motivations can act on various stages of this process, including the potential categories and dimensions that are even considered and tested, the definition and scope of the outcome of interest, and the perceived similarity or typicality of the target in relation to various potential categories. Rather than being a purely sequential process, the selection and weighting of dimensions can also influence the way features are translated into potential categories.