| Title | How we think they see us? Valence and difficulty of retrieval as moderators of the effect of meta-stereotype activation on intergroup orientations. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2016 |
| Authors | Vázquez, Alexandra, Vincent Yzerbyt, John F. Dovidio, and Ángel Gómez |
| Journal | International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie |
| Date Published | 2016 Feb 7 |
| ISSN | 1464-066X |
| Abstract | Previous research indicates that meta-stereotypes are predominantly negative. However, the valence of the meta-stereotypes may not be the only factor accounting for the detrimental effects associated with their activation. In addition to valence, we propose that the subjective difficulty of retrieving the meta-stereotype might critically determine whether its activation deteriorates intergroup orientations. An experimental study showed that the effect of the meta-stereotype activation on the desire to interact with outgroup members was moderated by the interaction between the valence of the meta-stereotype and its difficulty of retrieval. In particular, the activation of a positive meta-stereotype deteriorated intergroup orientations when the difficulty of retrieval was high as compared with a condition in which the difficulty of retrieval was low. In sharp contrast, the activation of a negative meta-stereotype worsened intergroup orientations when the difficulty of retrieval was low as compared with a condition in which the difficulty of retrieval was high. |
| DOI | 10.1002/ijop.12260 |
| Alternate Journal | Int J Psychol |
