交差カテゴリーを用いたステレオタイプの活性化が対人認知に与える影響

Abstract

A number of studies have shown that the activation of stereotypes affects subsequent information processing. Moreover, individuals typically belong to multiple categories at the same time and are evaluated differently depending on which category is focus of attention. The present study examined the effect of activation of stereotype dimensions on interpersonal perception and memory in the context of cross categorization. Eighty participated in the experiment. First, participants performed the cognitive tasks to activate either occupation or gender. They were asked to make some combinations between pictures of various vocations and names of the job in occupation-activation condition, and between pictures of boys and girls and male or female names in gender-activation condition. Next, after completing the distraction task, participants read one of the two vignettes. The vignette described one day of a male or female hairdresser. Thus there were four conditions as a whole（two kinds of activation by gender of the target）. Finally, participants rated the impression of the target and recalled the content of the vignette. When occupation dimension was activated, the impression and memory of the target was largely affected by the prototype of hairdresser, whereas in case of activating gender dimension, the impression and memory of the target was mainly based on the gender stereotype. Thus, the current study demonstrated that the activation of the category dimension influenced following interpersonal cognition even if neither specific stereotypes themselves nor stereotypical traits were activated. The results suggest the cognitive mechanism involved in processing information. Activating the category dimension leads to activation of the specific stereotype that applies to the target person, which in turn, directs perceivers’ attention to stereotypic traits or attributes and then has impact on their impression and memory. The present study showed that the impressions of the same person’s behavior were different according to which category dimension the judgment was based on.