Stereotypes and the Generation of Compensatory and Noncompensatory Expectancies of Group Members

Abstract

Three studies investigated the role of schemata and stereotypes in generating expectations about the future behavior of group members. Subjects were exposed to behaviors that violated their schema-based expectancies and were asked to make estimates about the probable actions of the individual responsible for the actions (target) or another member of the stereo"ped group. Results showed that subjects often expected (or predicted) these targets to engage in future compensatory behavior Results also suggested that, under conditions of excessive inconsistent, subjects ceased expecting compensatory behavior and based their estimates on their recent observations of the target's behavior. However, subjects continued to expect compensatory behavior from another member of the target's social group. A mechanism for stereotype maintenance that accounts for these findings is proposed. In addition, implications of this analysis for self concept maintenance and social judgments were discussed.