MULTIPLE COMMUNICATORS WITH UNIQUE TARGET INFORMATION TRANSMIT LESS STEREOTYPICAL IMPRESSIONS

Four studies examined how multiple communicators who have unique targe t information transmit less stereotypical impressions. Go-communicator s with unique information should feel accountable for providing unique perspectives and consequently will try to be accurate. This accuracy goal should increase their focus on stereotype-incongruent behaviors, resulting in more counterstereotypical transmissions. Study 1 showed t hat communicators with unique information about an alcoholic target ab stractly characterized incongruent attributes and allocated more trans mission time to them. Study 2 showed that the effect of communicators' unique information on receivers' less stereotypical impressions was m ediated by focus on incongruent attributes. Because the first 2 studie s used a target whose stereotypical features were negative, Studies 3 and 4 provided a replication with a target whose stereotypical feature s were positive.