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Stereotypes as justifications for prior intergroup discrimination: Studies of Scottish national stereotyping

Rutland, Adam, Brown, Rupert (2001) Stereotypes as justifications for prior intergroup discrimination: Studies of Scottish national stereotyping. European Journal of Social Psychology, 31 (2). pp. 127-141. ISSN 0046-2772. (doi:10.1002/ejsp.25) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:4435)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.25

Abstract

Two studies provide support for the group-justification approach to stereotyping (Tajfel, 1981; Huici, 1984). This approach contends that stereotypes not only serve cognitive functions for individuals but also provide a means of justifying prior intergroup discrimination. Study I investigated whether the content of the Scottish ingroup stereotype changes due to the prior expression of intergroup discrimination. Scottish students were primed with either a 'differentiation' or a fairness' ingroup norm and completed two intergroup judgement tasks. Other Scottish students were primed only with a 'differentiation' ingroup norm, while a control group received no prime or judgement tasks. Only participants who experienced the 'differentiation' ingroup norm prime and the intergroup judgement tasks changed the content of their ingroup stereotype as an attempt to justify their discriminatory behaviour. Study 2 examined whether Scottish students would use both positive ingroup and negative outgroup stereotypes to rationalize intergroup discrimination. Students who experienced a 'differentiation' ingroup norm prime and intergroup judgement tasks showed the highest level of superior recall for positive ingroup and negative outgroup stereotype-consistent words compared to stereotype-neutral words. This finding suggests that the expression of intergroup discrimination activates the use of both positive ingroup and negative outgroup stereotypes. Together the findings of these two studies provide empirical support for the notion that stereotypes serve social as well as cognitive functions.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1002/ejsp.25
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Psychology
Depositing User: C.A. Simms
Date Deposited: 09 Jun 2008 17:14 UTC
Last Modified: 09 Mar 2023 11:29 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/4435 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Rutland, Adam.

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