The role of interpersonal processes in self-stereotyping

University Of Virginia, Charlottesville VA

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Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Surprisingly, there are few sustained programs of research that examine the psychological impact of stereotypes on their targets via interpersonal processes. The proposed program of research examines how stereotype-relevant evaluations held by one's social relationship partners are translated into corresponding self-evaluations and behavior. This work is guided by three hypotheses derived from shared reality theory. Individuals' self-evaluations will "tune" to other social actors' evaluations of them when relationship motivation toward these social actors is high (relational social tuning hypothesis; Experiments 1,2, 4, 5) and their evaluations are clearly relevant to the domain under consideration (relationship relevance hypothesis; Experiment 3, 6). This perspective also suggests that individuals' self-evaluations will tune to others' evaluations of them when they are uncertain, as opposed to certain, of their own abilities in the domain under consideration (epistemic social tuning hypothesis; Experiment 7 - 10). The proposed experiments will contribute to extant understanding of how stereotypes impact their targets, provide greater understanding of how the self responds to social expectations more generally, and identify ways in which members of negatively stereotyped groups are damaged by their social relationships as well as how they can use social relationships to better their behavioral and psychological outcomes. In addition, the proposed career development plan is designed to tackle each of the challenges unique to this program of research while affording the principal investigator the opportunity to enhance her research skills. In concert, the planned research and career development activities will forward the principal investigator's goals of conducting research on social stigma and the self with increasing impact and developing a productive career as a researcher and teacher. Her current institutional environment (University of Virginia) is ideal for the implementation of these plans because it is committed to providing her with sufficient time, resources and support to successfully enact them.