When Does Contact with Successful Ingroup Members Change Self-Stereotypes?

Abstract

A longitudinal study examined the relationship between contact with successful ingroup members and women’s stereotypes about their own leadership abilities, career goals, and assertive behavior in class. Upon entry into college and toward the end of their sophomore year we measured (1) participants’ quantity and quality of contact with successful ingroup members (female professors), (2) implicit and explicit leadership self-concept, (3) career goals, and (4) classroom behavior. Frequent contact with ingroup members predicted stronger implicit self-conceptions of leadership and more career ambitions, but only when contact experiences were of high quality rather than superficial. Quality and quantity of contact independently predicted assertive behavior. The findings suggest that changing implicit self-beliefs requires both high quality and frequent exposure to counterstereotypic individuals.