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Three experiments examined 5 hypotheses of social identity theory (H. Tajfel & J. C. Turner, 1979) concerning social mobility and social creativity strategies and how permeability of group boundaries affects strategy use. As predicted, members of negatively distinctive in-groups distanced themselves psychologically from the in-group (social mobility), rated the distinguishing dimension as less undesirable (social creativity), and rated the in-group more favorably on other dimensions (social creativity) than did members of nondistinctive in-groups. Also as predicted, social creativity strategies were more likely to be used when group boundaries were impermeable rather than permeable. Permeability effects on social mobility strategies were more complex than predicted. Additional findings shed light on relationships among identity-enhancement strategies and on how dimensions are chosen to flatter a negatively distinctive in-group.

The effects of stereotypes on attributions, predictions, and evaluations were examined in 2 experiments Black out-group targets and White in-group targets were described in stereotype-consistent or stereotype-inconsistent ways. Stereotype-inconsistent behavior (a) was attributed to external causes or to effort an internal stable cause for the out-group; (b) undermined predictions of future similar behavior but only for the out-group; and (c) resulted in more extreme evaluations m the direction of the inconsistency. Attributions mediated the relationship between race and target evaluations. A model is presented that emphasizes the importance of distinguishing among different types of social judgments in assessing stereotype effects.

Based on a tripartite perspective on attitudes, research was designed to identify the cognitions (stereotypes and values), affects, and behavior associated with three target groups (Afirican Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans) and to examine the contribution of each to the prediction of group attitudes. Cognitions associated with the target groups extended previous findings and indicated that current perceptions focus more on the group's relationship to the rest of society than on characteristics of group members. Less positive affect was associated with all three target groups, especially with Afiican Americans, with whom fear was also associated. Affect and behavior were the strongest predictors of group attitudes; cognition made a minor contribution for each group. Implications for conceptualization and change in group attitudes (i.e., reducing prejudice) are discussed.

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