ABSTRACT

Although the last half-century has seen widespread efforts to improve intergroup relations, it is clear that stereotypes continue to play a fundamental role in everyday social thought (e.g., Dovidio & Gaertner, 2000; Schuman, Steeh, Bobo, &: Krysan, 1997). Two central elements of stereotyping are expectations of group entitativity (viewing a collection of persons as a single, coherent entity) and group homogeneity (viewing a group as composed of highly similar and interchangeable members; G.Allport, 1954; Brewer & Harasty, 1996; Hamilton & Sherman, 1996; Park & Judd, 1990). Though there are important distinctions between entitativity and homogeneity (Hamilton & Sherman, this volume; Haslam, Rothschild, & Ernst, this volume), there is mounting evidence that when either of these assumptions are in place, perceivers tend to feel it is fair game to extend sweeping characterizations to an entire group and to judge an individual member solely by his or her group membership (Brewer & Harasty, 1996; Gaertner & Schopler, 1998; Hamilton & Sherman, this volume; Park & Judd, 1990; Ryan, Bogart, & Vender, 2000; Yzerbyt, Corneille, & Estrada, 2001; Yzerbyt, Rogier, & Fiske, 1998). Thus, the degree to which people do or do not harbor expectations about group coherence and homogeneity is of great theoretical and practical interest.