The Effects of Ethnocultural Empathy on Level of Stereotyping Toward College Athletes

Abstract

In the current study the author examined whether ethnocultural empathy affects people's beliefs and expectations regarding athletes, hypothesizing that (1) individuals demonstrating a high level of ethnocultural empathy would be less likely to endorse stereotypes toward athletes, (2) females would be less likely to stereotype toward athletes than would males, (3) athletes would be less likely to stereotype toward athletes than would non-athletes, and (4) behavioral science majors would be less likely to stereotype toward athletes than would non-behavioral science majors. As predicted, participants high on ethnocultural empathy were less likely to stereotype towards athletes, females were less likely to stereotype toward athletes than were males, and behavioral science majors were less likely to stereotype toward athletes than were non-behavioral science majors. However, contrary to the hypotheses, athletes were more likely to stereotype toward their own in-group than were non-athletes.