Enhancing the Impact of Counterstereotypic Information: Dispositional Attributions for Deviance

Counterstereotypic behavior by a single out-group member often fails to change out-group stereotypes because it can be dismissed as an exception to the rule. The impact of the "exception" can be strengthened by making the exception appear to be a typical out-group member and by encouraging a dispositional attribution for the exception's counterstereotypic behavior. These hypotheses were supported in 3 experiments using both artificial and real social categories and both positive and negative stereotypes. When counterstereotypic behavior by a typical member of the out-group was attributed to a stable internal cause, it was effective in moderating out-group stereotypes. However, the same behavior had virtually no impact when it was either performed by an atypical group member or attributed to external causes or to unstable internal causes.