PERCEIVED COVARIATION AMONG THE FEATURES OF INGROUP AND OUTGROUP MEMBERS - THE OUTGROUP COVARIATION EFFECT

The authors show a new outgroup homogeneity bias-outgroup covariation. They investigated perceived covariation among the features describing group subtypes. Results support a familiarity covariation effect. Tho se more familiar with a group perceive lower covariation among feature s of group members. Results also support an outgroup covariation effec t. In cases in which people are less familiar with the outgroup, they perceive greater covariation among features of outgroup members. For a ge, in which young and old people were less familiar with the outgroup , both perceived greater covariation among features of outgroup subtyp es. For occupation, in which undergraduates had less work experience t han masters of business students, undergraduates perceived greater cov ariation among features of business subtypes. For gender, in which stu dents were equally familiar with men and women, no covariation effect occurred. Familiarity mediated outgroup covariation effects.