▁of ▁group ▁characteristics , ▁though ▁some ▁s tere ot ypes ▁are ▁in ac cur ate . ▁However , ▁they ▁can ▁cause ▁harm ▁when ▁the ▁content ▁of ▁the ▁s tere ot ype ▁is ▁incorrect ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁or ▁where ▁a ▁s tere ot ype ▁is ▁so ▁strongly ▁held ▁that ▁it ▁over rides ▁evidence ▁which ▁shows ▁that ▁an ▁individual ▁does ▁not ▁conform ▁to ▁it . ▁For ▁example , ▁age - based ▁s tere ot ypes ▁prime ▁one ▁to ▁draw ▁very ▁different ▁conclus ions ▁when ▁one ▁sees ▁an ▁older ▁and ▁a ▁younger ▁adult ▁with , ▁say , ▁back ▁pain ▁or ▁a ▁lim p . ▁ ▁One ▁might ▁well ▁assume ▁that ▁the ▁younger ▁person ' s ▁condition ▁is ▁temporary ▁and ▁treat able , ▁following ▁an ▁accident , ▁while ▁the ▁older ▁person ' s ▁condition ▁is ▁chron ic ▁and ▁less ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁inter vention . ▁On ▁average , ▁this ▁might ▁be ▁true , ▁but ▁plenty ▁of ▁older ▁people ▁have ▁acc idents ▁and ▁recover ▁quickly ▁and ▁very ▁young ▁people ▁( such ▁as ▁inf ants , ▁to dd lers , ▁and ▁small ▁children ) ▁can ▁become ▁perman ently ▁disabled ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁situation . ▁This ▁assumption ▁may ▁have ▁no ▁consequence ▁if ▁one ▁makes ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁bl ink ▁of ▁an ▁eye ▁as ▁one ▁is ▁passing ▁someone ▁in ▁the ▁street , ▁but ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁health ▁professional ▁offering ▁treatment ▁or ▁man agers ▁thinking ▁about ▁occup ational ▁health , ▁it ▁could ▁in app ropri ately ▁influence ▁their ▁actions ▁and ▁lead ▁to ▁age -