Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Playing “Sherlock Holmes”: Enhancing Students’ Understanding Of Prejudice And Stereotyping, Ellen N. Junn, L. Grier, D. Behrens

Office of the Provost Scholarship

A very simple, innovative classroom exercise designed to heighten students' understanding of stereotyping and prejudice is described. Students' evaluation of the exercise was very positive. Students reported greater awareness and understanding of their own and others’ stereotypes and prejudice and of the negative effects of prejudice, with females more than males reporting enhanced awareness of others’ stereotyping. Students also rated the exercise as very enjoyable. There was a trend among Non-White more than White students to report that the exercise helped show them how to reduce stereotypes and more Non-White than White students offered solutions for reducing prejudice that involved …