Self-Regulation of Intergroup Perception


	In C. N. Macrae, C. Stangor, & M. Hewstone (Eds.), Stereotypes & stereotyping
	(pp. 227-253). New York: Guilford, 1996.

	The Self-Regulation of Intergroup Perception:
	Mechanisms and Consequences of
	Stereotype Suppression

	Galen V. Bodenhausen	C. Neil Macrae
	Michigan State University	Cardiff University

	SUMMARY

	One of the key insights of social psychological analyses of human behavior has been a recognition of the active construction of meaning that perceivers undertake in mentally representing the social world in which they live and function (Fiske & Taylor, 1991; Ross & Nisbett, 1991; Wyer & Srull, 1989). In navigating the complex relationships and interactions that constitute everyday life, people make behavioral choices on the basis of their subjective interpretations of the people and situations they encounter. Although our perceptions of the world are ultimately constrained to some degree by the objective qualities of social stimuli, our construals do not invariably correspond to actual properties of the entities in question. One important potential source of divergence between subjective impressions and objective "truths" is the operation of inferential processes that use detectable characteristics of social stimuli to derive assumed characteristics that are not readily apparent in the initial perceptual experience. Stereotyping represents a classic case of this process. The detection of group memberships such as sex, race, or age is often trivially easy, but detecting personality traits, interests, and attitudes requires more of an investment of mental resources. As noted throughout this volume, perceivers approach social situations with extensive sets of assumptions about the traits, interests, behavioral proclivities, and other characteristics of social groups that they can use to shape their impressions of individual group members (see Brewer, Chapter 8, this volume). The process of stereotyping has undeniable appeal for social perceivers, making it possible to form articulated representations of others efficiently and relatively effortlessly (for a review, see Hamilton & Sherman, 1994). In spite of these benefits to the perceiver, however, recent decades have been characterized by a growing realization of, and concern about, the potential costs of stereotyping for the targets of this process. Because stereotypes about out-groups are often negative, stereotypic impressions may lead persons who are members of stereotyped groups to experience systematic disadvantages in important contexts, such as personnel selection, legal decision making, and countless others. Such concerns have led many people to the conclusion that stereotyping others is inappropriate and to be avoided. In this chapter, we explore the prospects for successfully avoiding stereotypic thinking. In particular, we review research documenting the motivational basis for attempts to regulate one's impressions in order to avoid the influence of stereotypes, we consider current models of cognitive self-control, and we summarize the available evidence about the often ironic consequences of attempting to suppress stereotypic modes of thought.

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