Implications of Self for Content and Process Models of Stereotypes
The current study examined whether self-construal—independent vs. interdependent—moderates intergroup judgments within the Inductive Reasoning Model (IRM). Participants (N=144) were placed into groups using a crossed-categories minimal group paradigm and asked to make judgments about their own and other groups. It was hypothesized that participants with an independent self-construal (IndSC) would project independent attributes to the ingroup whereas participants with an interdependent self-construal (InterSC) would project interdependent attributes to the ingroup. Results support this hypothesis, but only with regard to momentarily activated self-construal. Chronic self-construal did not moderate projection. Furthermore, and in accordance with the IRM, it was hypothesized that participants would view construal-consistent attributes more positively than construal-inconsistent attributes and that groups perceived to possess the greatest number of construal-consistent attributes would be viewed most positively. These hypotheses were generally not supported. Overall, the current findings provide only partial support for the IRM. Additionally, they shed light on various possible sources of variation in stereotype content and development which have not yet been discussed within the literature.
Experimental Psychology, Psychology, Social Psychology, Stereotypes, Self, Intergroup Relations
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