Reactions to a Black professional: Motivated inhibition and activation of conflicting stereotypes.

Abstract

The motivation to form a particular impression of an individual can prompt the inhibition of applicable stereotypes that contradict one's desired impression and the activation and application of stereotypes that support it. Participants, especially those high in prejudice, inhibited the Black stereotype when motivated to esteem a Black individual (because he had praised them). Participants motivated to esteem a Black doctor also activated the doctor stereotype. In contrast, participants motivated to disparage a Black doctor (because he had criticized them) inhibited the doctor stereotype. Participants motivated to disparage a Black individual also applied the Black stereotype to him, rating him as relatively incompetent. All these effects were driven by the self-protective motives of recipients of feedback from Black evaluators; detached observers showed no such effects.Imagine a student whose work has just received glowing praise from a Black professor. Most students would want to revel in such praise and make the most of its self-enhancing potential. This may be difficult to do, however, if the student happens to subscribe to the negative stereotype of African Americans that can challenge the competence of this Black professor; how can one take any praise seriously if one considers the person who delivered it incompetent? We propose that to resolve this dilemma, the student may push the negative stereotype of African Americans out of mind, thereby preventing it from casting doubts over this professor's competence. Furthermore, to alleviate any lingering doubts, the student may seek to boost the professor's likely competence by focusing on an alternative, positive stereotype that also is applicable: that of professors. Imagine, on the other hand, a student whose work has been harshly criticized by the same Black professor. A wealth of social-

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