Communicating Stereotype-Relevant Information: Is Factual Information Subject to the Same Communication Biases as Fictional Information?

Factual information is more frequently read and discussed than fictional information. However, research on the role of communication in shaping stereotypes has focused almost exclusively on fictional narratives. In Experiments 1 and 2 a newspaper article containing information about heroin users was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Personality & social psychology bulletin 2009-07, Vol.35 (7), p.836-852
Main Authors: Goodman, Ruth L., Webb, Thomas L., Stewart, Andrew J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Attitude
Bias
Communication
Experiments
Female
Heroin
Humans
Information Dissemination - methods
Linguistics
Male
Narration
Narratives
Newspapers as Topic
Shareholder relations
Social Behavior
Social Identification
Social Perception
Stereotypes
Stereotyping
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Summary:Factual information is more frequently read and discussed than fictional information. However, research on the role of communication in shaping stereotypes has focused almost exclusively on fictional narratives. In Experiments 1 and 2 a newspaper article containing information about heroin users was communicated along chains of 4 people. No stereotype-consistency bias was observed. Instead, a greater proportion of stereotype-inconsistent information was communicated than was stereotype-consistent or -neutral information. Three further experiments investigated explanations for the difference between the communication of fictional and factual information. Experiment 3 ruled out the possibility that participants' beliefs about the validity of the information could influence the way that it is communicated. Experiments 4 and 5 divided information into concrete (a specific event or fact) or abstract (opinion). A stereotype-consistency bias emerged only for abstract information. In summary, linguistic abstraction moderates whether stereotype-consistency biases emerge in the communication of stereotype-relevant factual information.
ISSN:0146-1672
1552-7433
DOI:10.1177/0146167209334780