Dominant people, it appears, use snap judgments and conform to received wisdom more than do the less dominant.
Those who need power, and those who have it, think differently. They find it easier to think in terms of stereotypes.
The combination of power, optimism, and abstract thinking makes powerful people more certain. The more cut off they are from others, the more confident they are that they are right.
Their tendency to surround themselves with Yes-Men makes matters worse!
From the book, Willful Blindness by Margaret Heffernan