The impact of stereotype-incongruent information on perceived group variability and stereotype change

Three experiments showed increases in the perceived variability of social g roups after perceivers received stereotype-incongruent information about gr oup members. In Experiment 1, participants generated flatter distributions after exposure to incongruent information, compared with equally deviant co ngruent information, in the form of typical verbal materials. Experiment 2 indicated similar changes in dispersion after the presentation of numeric i nformation about a single group member. In Experiment 3, the authors manipu lated cognitive load at encoding or at the time group judgements;were reque sted. Under conditions of cognitive constraint, stereotype-incongruent info rmation ceased to promote more dispersed group representations. These resul ts are consistent with the idea that incongruent information triggers more deliberative and comprehensive retrieval and generation of exemplars. The a uthors discuss the implications of these findings for stereotype change.