title: Selective self-stereotyping.
abstract: In an examination of group members' responses to the threat of negative in-group characterizations, sorority/fraternity members were asked to rate themselves, their own sorority/fraternity, sororities/ fraternities in general, and students in general on attributes that were stereotypic of sororities/ fraternities. Results showed that individuals selectively self-stereotyped-they embraced positive stereotypes as highly descriptive of themselves and their closest in-groups but rejected negative stereotypes. They did not, however, deny that negative stereotypes were accurate or valid-they continued to accept them as typical of sororities/fraternities in general. This represents a protective, creative response to the threat posed by exposure to negative group attributes, in which self-stereotyping as a result of self-categorization is selective rather than complete.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence 66045-2160, USA. biernat@statl.cc.ukans.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Biernat
authors.forename: T K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Vescio
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Green
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D019336:Cognitive Science; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012925:Social Conformity; D012933:Social Identification; D013240:Stereotyping