In the context of cognitive psychology, if Fantasia believes that people with blue eyes are more intelligent than others without any supporting evidence, this belief is best described as which of the following?

• A. A cognitive schema
• B. An operational definition
• C. A confirmation bias
• D. A stereotype

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the key terms involved in the problem. A 'cognitive schema' is a mental framework that helps organize knowledge, an 'operational definition' specifies how a concept is measured, 'confirmation bias' is the tendency to favor information that confirms existing beliefs, and a 'stereotype' is a generalized belief about a group of people.
2. Step 2: Analyze the belief described: Fantasia thinks people with blue eyes are more intelligent without any evidence. This is a generalized belief about a group based on a characteristic (eye color).
3. Step 3: Recognize that this belief is not about how intelligence is measured (so not an operational definition), nor is it about selectively seeking confirming evidence (so not confirmation bias).
4. Step 4: Identify that the belief fits the definition of a stereotype because it is a fixed, oversimplified idea about a group of people without supporting evidence.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the best description of Fantasia's belief is a stereotype, as it involves a generalized and unsupported assumption about a group.