Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (1991). Social Cognition. New York: McGraw-Hill.
To break free from pigeonholing, it is essential to: pigeonholed deeper
: Stop describing yourself by your output (e.g., "I write code") and start describing yourself by your outcome (e.g., "I solve complex logic problems"). Fiske, S
Being pigeonholed can have significant consequences, both for individuals and groups. When people are stereotyped or categorized, it can lead to oversimplification and a lack of understanding. Being pigeonholed deeper can exacerbate these issues, making it more challenging for individuals to break free from preconceived notions. (1991)
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
| Field | Example of Pigeonholing | “Deeper” Stage | |--------|------------------------|----------------| | Corporate | Known as “the Excel person” | Assigned only to fix others’ spreadsheets, never strategy | | Academia | PhD in a niche topic | Expected to teach only that subtopic, not broader courses | | Creative | Acted in a viral superhero role | Offered only similar action roles for years | | Tech | Wrote one good Python script | Seen as “only backend,” excluded from frontend or design | | Gig economy | Rated highly for furniture assembly | Never offered electronics or repair jobs |
: The better you perform in a specific niche, the more projects of that exact type you are assigned.