Organization of In-Group and Out-Group Information: The Influence of Gender-Role Orientation

Abstract

The effects of gender-role orientation on the organization of in-group and out-group information—as measured through cued recall and recall organization—were examined in two experiments. Utilizing gender as the in-group/out-group distinction, it was predicted that androgynous and gender-typed subjects would differentially process information about male and female stimulus targets. This hypothesis was upheld with respect to recall organization. Gender-typed subjects were more likely to individuate in-group members than out-group members. However, androgynous subjects equally individuated in-group and out-group members. The implications of these results for conceptualizations of in-group and out-group representations and for cognitive theories of gender-role orientation are discussed.