Evaluations of Ingroup and Outgroup Members: The Role of Category-Based Expectancy Violation

Abstract

Examines the role of category-based expectancy violation in explaining extreme evaluations of ingroup and outgroup members. In three experiments, descriptions about ingroup and outgroup targets were varied to manipulate expectancy violation. Participants evaluated the global favorability and rated the trait characteristics of either an ingroup or an outgroup target. In addition, they indicated the extent to which the targets violated category-based expectancies. Experiment 1, which included two different scenarios that violated category-based expectancies, showed that expectancy violation affected global evaluations of target favorability and that measured expectancies mediated these evaluations. Experiment 2 replicated Experiment 1 and showed that ingroup and outgroup targets were evaluated similarly when category-based expectancies were not violated. Experiment 3 presented positive job resumes that violated or did not violate stereotyped expectancies for female and male job applicants. The results showed that female and male targets were evaluated more positively when they violated stereotyped expectations for their gender group and that these outcomes were not modified by the subject's group membership. The results are discussed in terms of expectancy-violation theory as well as assumed-characteristics and cognitive-complexity theories.