CONTROL DEPRIVATION AND PREJUDICED INTEGROUP ATTITUDES

In this paper we address the problem how control deprivation affects stereotyping and prejudice - two major dimensions of intergroup relations. Our research suggests that experience of control loss may interfere with the use of stereotypes as cues in information encoding in memory, information search, and attention allocation. However, this research also reveals that both a generalized expectation of no control (in a survey study) and induced experimentally control-loss experience, may foster negative intergroup reactions. We found that, following control deprivation, negative traits of out-groupers were seen as more typical and positive traits as less typical; also, memory data showed that this experience increased the tendency to 'guess' negative traits and better memorize them among prejudiced subjects (suggesting heightened accessibility of negative attitudes). Thus, paradoxically, as implied by our findings, control deprivation may at the same time inhibit stereotyping and promote negative intergroup perceptions and judgment.