Premium
Stereotypes and Shifting Standards: Some Paradoxical Effects of Cognitive Load
Author(s) -
Biernat Monica,
Kobrynowicz Diane,
Weber Dara L.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2003.tb01875.x
Subject(s) - psychology , social psychology , cognition , cognitive load , cognitive bias , cognitive psychology , neuroscience
Four studies tested a prediction derived from the shifting‐standards model (Biernat, Manis, & Nelson, 1991) regarding the role stereotypes play in judgments of individual group members. Previous research has documented that stereotyping effects are stronger on objective than on subjective response scales, and the present studies found that these effects were intensified when participants were under heavy cognitive load. Stereotyping effects increased on objective judgment scales, but decreased on subjective scales. The latter is a paradoxical effect: By relying on stereotypes, one may increasingly use them as within‐category comparative standards, which leads to the apparent reduction of stereotyping effects.