THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-RELATED GOALS ON THE USE OF STEREOTYPICAL AND INDIVIDUATING INFORMATION

The present study examines the influence of motives in the use of ster eotypical and individuating information in perceiving a target person who is an outgroup member. Subjects were given both gender stereotypic al and non- (or counter-) stereotypical behavioural descriptions of a target person who was always opposite-sexed to the the subjects. Subje cts expected either to compete or to cooperate with the target on a ta sk described as either masculine or feminine. The findings showed that anticipated interaction (to compete or to cooperate) and the nature o f task (masculine or feminine) jointly influenced whether the subjects attend to stereotypical or non-stereotypical information. It is argue d that this selective attention to , and consequently recall of, the t arget's behavioural descriptions is influenced by the need to perceive the potential partner as competent, and the potential competitor as i ncompetent. Thus, self-related concerns may either increase or decreas e stereotyping.