Carey S. Ryan - US grants

Stereotyping has long been a concern to both social psychologists and society in general. Understanding the process of stereotyping is important because of the harmful effects that may result from applying a stereotype, especially a negative one, to an individual member of a group. In early research, stereotypes were conceptualized as sets of attributes perceived to be characteristic of a group. Further, the terms "prejudice" and "stereotyping" were used interchangeably, as it was assumed that these were parts of the same phenomenon. More recently, stereotypes have been conceptualized as including not only perceptions of the modal attributes, or central tendency of a group, but also perceptions of the variability of group members with respect to those attributes. Research also indicates that stereotypes and prejudice can exist independently of each other; that is, beliefs about the typical attributes of a group and the perceived variability of group members are not necessarily correlated with negative feelings about the group. In order to understand the stereotyping process more fully, we need to understand how our perceptions of real-world groups develop and how individuals mentally represent information about these groups. The proposed research is aimed at examining these issues. More specifically, the proposed research examines how stereotypes of in-groups and out-groups change as individuals change group membership and status within their group. The work focuses on change in perceived group variability, perceived central tendency, perceived valence, and the use of subgroups to represent variability information about social groups. Data will be gathered from college students who are joining sororities. Subjects' perceptions of their own and other sororities will be assessed four times during the initiation and membership process. The proposed research thus employs a longitudinal design to examine change in individuals' perceptions of real-world groups as they change their membership status. The outcome of this work will be a better understanding of stereotype change and, in particular, the influence of group membership on perceptions of groups. Further, this work will provide a solid foundation for a program of research aimed at examining stereotype change, using a combination of naturalistic studies and laboratory experiments.

Small groups and organizational researchers have long been interested in the process of socializing new members into existing groups. This process is believed to affect members' attitudes towards the group as well as their motivation and ability to achieve group goals. At the same time, intergroup relations researchers have long been interested in how people come to perceive in-groups differently from out-groups. Out- groups are typically perceived more homogeneously, more stereotypically, less positively, and less accurately than in- groups. However, there has been very little empirical work examining the relationship between group socialization and the development of intergroup perceptions. The purpose of the proposed research is to examine the effects of individuals' experiences as new group members, including uncertainty about being accepted by the group, interactions with full group members (e.g., hazing), and the type of information that new members encounter, on stereotype development. A longitudinal study of real-world groups is proposed in which new members' experiences are assessed and the consequences for the development of in- group-out-group differences in perceived group stereotypicality, perceived group variability, prejudice, and accuracy are examined. Two experimental studies will examine the development of new members' perceptions of in-groups and out-groups as a function of uncertainty about being accepted by the group and the type of information new members receive about the groups (i.e., group-level vs. individual-level). The outcome of this work will be a more complete understanding of group socialization, stereotype development, and the relationship between these two processes. This work may ultimately help identify ways in which groups can more effectively socialize new members and promote more positive and constructive intergroup perceptions. As a result, the anxiety associated with new membership in work and social groups, as well as the negative effects of stereotyping on individuals' psychological well-being, are likely to be reduced.