Stereotype-target congruence appraisals contribute to the intercultural flexibility of individuals high on cultural metacognition✰

Abstract

This research examined the interplay between social cognition and individual differences in cultural metacognition to explain flexibility in intercultural judgements. Three studies using a minimal group procedure tested whether individuals high (vs. low) on cultural metacognition attend more to stereotype-target congruence and use these appraisals to calibrate judgements of stereotype relevant targets. Consistently, in all studies a stereotype target congruence (vs incogruence) manipulation affected judgements of individual outgroup targets and the outgroup as a whole more under high (vs. low) cultural metacognition. Contrary to a behavioral integration account, Study 2 showed that this pattern disappeared when participants had no cultural stereotype to rely on for their appraisals. Study 3 directly induced target congruence appraisals and ‘trained’ low on cultural metacognition individuals to display judgement patterns typical of highly metacognitive individuals under default. Implications are discussed for metacognition and the development of cultural intelligence facilitating flexible intercultural judgements in diverse societies.