The content, valence, and outcomes of ethnic minority group members’ interminority meta-stereotypes

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Date
2020-08-26
Authors
Quesnel, Matthew
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract

As ethnic diversity grows in nations around the world, so does the importance of understanding relations between ethnic minority groups (interminority relations) and factors that may promote contact and cooperation between them. Further, little is known about the role of group status in interminority relations. Thus, across four studies, I examined the content, overall valence, accuracy, and specificity of the meta-stereotypes higher (Asian Americans) and lower (Black Americans) status ethnic minority groups hold regarding how their group is viewed by the other group (interminority meta-stereotypes). Further, I examined the relationship between groups’ overall interminority meta-evaluations and their interest in contact and solidarity with members of the other group to address issues of mutual concern. In each study, I recruited Black and Asian Americans from Amazon Mechanical Turk, who completed an online survey. I found that, as a higher status group, Asian Americans’ interminority meta-stereotypes focused on perceptions that they are viewed as competent but unsociable and somewhat prejudiced. In contrast, as a lower status group, Black Americans’ interminority meta-stereotypes focused on perceptions that they are viewed as low in competence and morality. Although Black Americans’ meta-stereotypes and meta-evaluations were negatively exaggerated, Asian Americans did not show such clear bias. In Study 1, the valence of groups’ interminority meta-stereotypes and meta-evaluations also differed from how they felt White Americans viewed them. In Study 2, the valence of groups’ meta-evaluations positively predicted their interest in contact and solidarity through its influence on their attitudes toward the outgroup. Moreover, both groups underestimated the other group’s interest in contact and solidarity. In Study 3, Black Americans were less willing to discuss interminority solidarity with a minority outgroup interaction partner relative to an ingroup member. However, no such effect was apparent for Asian Americans and the effect for Black Americans was not explained by individual-level meta-evaluations, which did not differ according to their partner’s ethnicity. The results suggest that higher and lower status ethnic minority groups have unique meta-evaluative concerns, which influence their interest in contact and solidarity with other ethnic minority groups and highlight the importance of understanding such concerns grounded in specific relationships.

Description
Keywords
Meta-stereotype, Intergroup contact, Intergroup solidarity, Meta-evaluation
Citation