Meta-stereotypes: Intergroup anxiety in interracial
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Authors
Laher, Hawabibi
Finchilescu, Gillian
Issue Date
2010
Type
Article
Language
en
Keywords
anxiety , contact , inter-racial , interaction , meta-stereotypes , racial
Alternative Title
Abstract
Previous research postulates that meta-stereotypes (i.e., one’s own
perceptions of another group’s stereotypes of the group that one
belongs to) affect interracial interaction and causes intergroup anxiety.
The present study aimed to examine whether meta-stereotypes affects
anxiety experienced in interracial interaction. The sample consisted of
120 students from the University of Witwatersrand. A computer generated
experiment with a hypothetical internet chat room was set up. Participants
were made to believe that they were interacting with students from
different universities. This experiment was used to measure the domains
of intergroup anxiety, meta-stereotypes, and attitudes. Various types of
scales were used, including a meta-stereotype scale and an inter-group
anxiety scale. Findings indicated that white individuals felt more anxious
interacting with members who were not from their own racial group, while
black participants showed no significant anxiety in their interactions.