COMPETENCE AND MORALITY DIMENSIONS OF NATIONAL AND ETHNIC-STEREOTYPES- A STUDY IN 6 EASTERN-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

To investigate the role of competence and morality in stereotypes, a c ross-national research was set up in six eastern-European countries. S tudy I measured the perceived desirability of stereotype attributes in ingroup versus outgroup members. Across countries, biopolar Competenc e and Morality components emerged, It was found that the perceived des irability of ingroup attributes was primarily competence-based, while desirability perceptions of outgroup attributes were mostly morality-b ased. In Study 2, participants in the six countries rated the occurren ce of competence-and morality-related stereotype attributes among 10 n ational and ethnic target groups. Study 2 also assessed general evalua tive attitudes and perceptions of power and conflict in inter-nation r elations. Competence and morality dimensions fully explained the evalu ative structure of national and ethnic stereotypes, generating a four- fold typology of sinful-loses, sinful-winner, virtuous-loser and virtu ous-winner stereotypes. This typology was strongly related to percepti ons of power and conflict between national groups. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.