Jw. Sherman et al., INTERGROUP BIAS IN GROUP JUDGMENT PROCESSES - THE ROLE OF BEHAVIORAL MEMORIES, Journal of experimental social psychology, 34(1), 1998, pp. 51-65
Two experiments examined the role of memory for behavioral episodes in
judgments about in-groups and out-groups. Using a minimal group parad
igm, participants read either positive or negative trait-relevant beha
viors performed by group members. They then were asked to make judgmen
ts about the group's trait characteristics. Results demonstrated that
for groups described positively, judgments about the out-group but not
the in-group were accomplished by retrieving from memory specific beh
aviors performed by group members. In contrast, for groups described n
egatively, judgments about the in-group but not the out-group were acc
omplished by retrieving specific behaviors performed by group members.
These results suggest that basic differences in the way judgments abo
ut in-groups and out-groups are made contribute to the establishment a
nd perpetuation of intergroup bias by decreasing the stability of nega
tive in-group and positive out-group impressions and increasing the st
ability of positive in-group and negative out-group impressions. (C) 1
998 Academic Press.