ABSTRACT
Accordingtotheambivalence-amplificationmodel,doingafavorforamember ofastigmatizedgroupmayarousepsychictensionintheactorbecausethe friendlyactioncontradictsthehostile,disvaluingcomponentofhisambivalent attitudetowardpeopleliketherecipient.Hemayfeelthathehasdisplayed excessivesympathyforanunworthyobjectorthathehasputhimselfoutforthe otherpersonforirrelevantreasons.Thesecognitionsmayposeathreattothe actor'sself-imageasajudiciousandfair-mindedperson.Theensuingattemptto reduceinnerconflictmaytaketheformofextremebehaviortowardtheother person,eitherpositiveornegativedependingonthecircumstances.Inthischapter,Iamconcernedwiththepositivesideofthishypothesis.Studiesarepresentedthattestthepredictionthatdoingafavorforastigmatizedstrangerwill haveamorefavorableeffectonsubsequentbehaviortowardhimthanwilldoing afavorforanonstigmatizedperson.
