Changing social stereotypes : the impact of inconsistent information on stereotypes of and affective reactions to target groups

Abstract

Previous literature has shown that negative stereotypes are susceptible to change under the right conditions. The reported research extended the literature on stereotype modification by investigating the effects of stereotype inconsistent information on both completely positive stereotypes and mixed stereotypes that contain positive and negative traits. The mixed stereotypes were included so that it would be possible to link the current research to Rothbart and Park's (1986) work that found individual positive traits easy to disconfinn and negative ones hard to disconfirm. The present research examined the effect of stereotype inconsistent inf01mation on positive and negative traits in the context of a stereotype. The effects of disconfoming behavioral information on congruent or incongruent affective reaction to the target groups was also considered. Reading times for the presented stereotype inconsistent inf01mation were also recorded. Sixty four students participated in the study, 32 participants were presented with stereotype inconsistent info1mation and their results were compared to 32 control subjects who received no information. Both conditions filled out a behavioral and affective questionnaire. It was found that for positive stereotypes, positive traits were susceptible to modification but in the mixed stereotypes positive traits resisted modification whilst negative traits was modified. It was also found that an affective reaction that is congruent with the stereotype could be modified in response to disconfirming behavioral information. Reading times were longer for stereotype inconsistent information than consistent. hnplications for stereotype change are discussed