The Impact of Response Instruction and Target Group on the BIAS Map

Abstract

Response instructions—inviting participants to respond from a certain perspective—can significantly influence the performance and construct validity of psychological measures. Stereotype Content Model (SCM) and then the BIAS map (“behaviors from intergroup affect and stereotypes”) were originally developed as universal measures of shared cultural stereotypes—participants’ perceptions of what most of the people in a society think about the target group—and their related social-structural antecedents, emotions and behavioral tendencies. Yet a number of studies have adopted a different response instruction focusing on individual stereotypes—what the participants personally think about the target group. So far, there is little evidence to suggest how these two different response instructions (individual vs. shared cultural perspective) might influence the performance of the BIAS map, especially when applied to target groups that elicit different normative and social desirability concerns. To provide novel evidence, we conducted an experiment with a representative sample of ethnic Slovaks ( N = 1269). In a 2 × 2 factorial design, we found response instruction (individual vs. shared cultural perspective) and target group [stigmatized ethnic minority (the Roma) vs. non-stigmatized ethnic minority (the Hungarians)] had significant effects on the BIAS map and their interaction had significant effects on the social structure and behavioral tendencies (but not on stereotypes and emotions) scales. Exploratory analysis also points to partial influence on the mediation hypothesis underlying the BIAS map and minor effects on its scale properties. Our evidence suggests that the difference between individual stereotypes and shared cultural stereotypes partially depends on the target group in question and that they should be treated as two potentially separate constructs.

Intergroup Relations During the Refugee Crisis: Individual and Cultural Stereotypes and Prejudices and Their Relationship With Behavior Toward Asylum Seekers

“…I focus here on the Roma, the stigmatized minority of the two groups. In line with Kotzur et al (2020), Findor et al (2020) found that stereotype ratings of the Roma were more positive on both the warmth and competence dimensions in the individual condition. Moreover, they found that the reported levels of contempt and envy toward the Roma were higher, and admiration and pity lower, in the collective condition as compared to the individual condition.…”

“…This individual approach also has a long history in social psychology (Stangor and Schaller, 1996). Until recently (Findor et al, 2020;Kotzur et al, 2020) however, these two approaches to the measurement of the constructs in the SCM had not been systematically compared. As illustrated by the results pertaining to the social perception of asylum seekers/refugees detailed above, varying the instructions may produce results that have diverging substantive interpretations.…”

“…However, Kotzur et al (2020) did not test the impact of varying response instructions on the emotional prejudices reported toward groups, and which implications differences in response instructions may have with respect to the prediction of intergroup behaviors. Findor et al (2020) investigated the effect of response instructions on the full BIAS map model. Their target groups 1 "As viewed by society, does this group make your group feel: disappointed, fearful, sympathetic…" (Fiske et al, 2002, p. 896).…”

“…In the present study, I build on and extend recent research on intergroup relations between host populations and asylum seekers/ refugees within the SCM framework (Kotzur et al, 2017(Kotzur et al, , 2019aFroehlich and Schulte, 2019;Wyszynski et al, 2020) and the work of Kotzur et al (2020) and Findor et al (2020) on the impact of response instructions. Specifically, I compare the stereotype content and emotional prejudices associated with asylum seekers as a group under instructions to indicate either one's personal opinion or to take the perspective of others in society.…”

“…Second, there is a reemerging debate about how stereotypes and emotional prejudices should be conceptualized and measured (Stangor and Schaller, 1996;Findor et al, 2020;Kotzur et al, 2020). Should researchers focus on individuals' personally held perceptions of social groups, and the individually experienced emotions toward them?…”