Past research has demonstrated the powerful influence other people have on
the thoughts and behaviors of individuals. However, the study of intergroup
attitudes has focused primarily on the influence of direct exposure to out
-group members as determinants of stereotypes and prejudice. Two experiment
s tested the hypothesis that learning that others share one's intergroup be
liefs influences intergroup attitudes and behavior as well as stereotype re
presentation. Experiment I demonstrated that teaming that one's beliefs are
shared or not shared with others influences attitudes, behavior, and the s
trength of the attitude-behavior relationship. Experiment 2 demonstrated a
potential mechanism for such effects by showing that learning about whether
others share one's stereotypes influences the accessibility of those stere
otypes and related stereotypes.