Are persons high in the need for structure more influential communicators of stereotypes?

• Main Author: Conway, Lucian Gideon
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/7787

It was predicted that individuals with a high chronic need for structure (compared to persons with low need for structure) exert more influence in the processes through which individual perceptions of groups coalesce into consensual stereotypes. This prediction emerges from the joint consideration of two hypotheses: (1) Need for structure is hypothesized to influence the use of abstract language when talking about others; (2) More abstract language is hypothesized to exert greater influence on others' beliefs. Two elements of linguistic abstraction were examined: The extent to which language implies characteristics of groups rather than merely characteristics of individuals ("inclusiveness"); the extent to which language implies stable traits, rather than merely episodic behaviors ("implied stability"). To test the hypotheses, participants in dyads were presented with information about members of two novel groups, and engaged in structured interpersonal communication about this information. Study 1 tested the first hypothesis, and found no support. There was no evidence that individual differences in Need for Structure influenced either the "inclusiveness" or "implied stability" of interpersonal communication. Study 2 tested the second hypothesis and found partial support. The "implied stability" of communications had no effects on stereotype formation, but the "inclusiveness" of communication did have an impact. Participants receiving more "inclusive" communications formed more stereotypic beliefs. The latter effect emerged only on stereotypic beliefs about negative characteristics, but not on stereotypes about positive characteristics.