Accuracy in the judgment of in-group and out-group variability.
The accuracy of in-group and out-group variability judgments was examined by comparing those judgments with the variability of self-ratings provided by random samples of group members. Following Park and Judd (1990), perceptions of both group dispersion and group stereotypicality were examined. Accuracy was examined both by within-subject sensitivity correlations and by simple discrepancies between perceived and actual variability estimates. In-group-out-group differences in sensitivity were shown, particularly for judgments of stereotypicality. These differences were related to differences in the degree to which out-group variability is underestimated relative to in-group variability (i.e., the out-group homogeneity effect). Out-group stereotypicality judgments were overestimated, supporting the view that out-group stereotypes are overgeneralizations. Whether dispersion judgments were over- or underestimated depended on their measurement.
Judd
C M
CM
Department of Psychology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309.
Ryan
C S
CS
Park
B
B
D000328:Adult; D002321:Career Choice; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012925:Social Conformity; D012928:Social Desirability; D012933:Social Identification; D013240:Stereotyping