Stereotype content across cultures: Variations on a few themes

People all over the world make sense of their society’s groups by consulting two perceptions: What is the other’s intent (warm and trustworthy or not) and can the other enact that intent (competent or not)? Distinct stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination follow from these warmth-by-competence combinations, themselves predicted respectively by perceived competition and status. Evidence supports the stereotypes’ hypothesized antecedents (social structure) and distinct consequences (emotions and behavior). After describing internal validity, the chapter addresses external validity and then moderating variables. Finally, the chapter takes up cultural variation: Collectivist cultures show less ingroup favoritism, high-status societies favor themselves on competence, whereas low-status societies favor themselves on warmth. More unequal societies describe more groups with ambivalence (high on one dimension but low on the other). More equal societies, but also more conflictual societies, show less ambivalence, in an apparently curvilinear peace-ambivalence pattern. The chapter closes with implications and future directions