Differential Recall of Subcategory Information about In-Group and Out-Group Members

Abstract

Subjects read stories depicting positive or negative activities involving in-group (same gender) and out-group (opposite gender) targets. Subcategory information (declared college major) about the targets was also provided. The frequency and gender typicality of the subcategory information were varied. More subjects recalled subcategory information about in-group members than about out-group members, but only when the subcategory was infrequent. Subjects also tended to recall differentiating subcategory information more about in-group members performing negatively than about positive in-group targets. These results were generally consistent with the differential subcategorization explanation of the general tendency to perceive less variability among out-group than among in-group members, although several limits on the subcategorization process were found.