Ratings of Characteristics of Ethnic Groups by Authoritarians and Nonauthoritarians When Stereotypes Vary in Favorability

Abstract

White non-Jewish participants in the 1990 General Social Survey with low scores on Tolerance of deviation ("Intolerant"), a measure of authoritarianism, rated African Americans more unfavorably than did Tolerant respondents on two traits, intelligence and laziness, when stereotypes about the latter group are unfavorable. But the Intolerant were not more negative in their evaluations than the Tolerant when Jews, a group for whom the stereotypes on these traits are favorable, were rated. The Intolerant rated Jews more favorably on intelligence, and their ratings of laziness did not differ from those by the Tolerant.