The Effects of Self-Esteem on Implicit Stereotypes

Katie Fisher and

Jenny McGuinness

“When an individual encounters another, he/she routinely categorizes that person in terms of salient features.” (Bertram et al., 2002)

Stereotyping

Automatic vs. Controlled Processes

•Automatic processes are mental processes that occur without conscious effort.

•Controlled processes are mental processes that we consciously control.

Automatic Processes vs. Personal Beliefs

Stereotypes can be learned in childhood and become automatic. In this way, stereotypes can affect us without our conscious involvement.

(Devine, 1989)

Implicit Association Test

This test assesses implicit attitudes people have by having them quickly categorize stimulus words using two response keys.

Formation of the IAT

Each block starts with short instructions for the specific task and requests the participant to respond as fast as possible.

(Bertram et.al, 2002)

Most IAT tests are made up of 5 blocks:

•Initial target-concept

•Attribute discrimination

•Initial combined task

•Reversed target-concept

•Reversed combined task

Initial Target-Concept

*Instructions: As quickly as possible hit the left key if the face is African American and the right key if the face is European American

African American European American

Attribute Discrimination

*Instructions: As quickly as possible hit the left key if the word is “good” and the right key if the word is “bad”

Initial Combined Task (Critical Block 1!!)

European American

Bad

African American

Good

Face OR Word

*Instructions: As quickly as possible hit the left key if the face or word is African American or “good” and the right key if the word or face is European American or “bad”

Reversed Target Concept

*Instructions: As quickly as possible hit the left key if the face is European American and the right key if the face is African American

Reversed Combined Task (Critical block 2!!)

Face OR Word

European American

Good

African American

Bad

*Instructions: As quickly as possible hit the left key if the face or word is European American or “good” and the right key if the word or face is African American or “bad”

It is presumed that a larger IAT effect – or larger gap between congruent and non-congruent reaction times - shows that the individual has a stronger association in memory between the specific concept pairings (i.e. European American-good or African American-bad) that make the judgment faster.

For example: White individuals typically categorize more quickly when the paired words are “white or good” or “black or bad” than with opposite pairings

(McConnell & Leibold, 2000)

IAT Effect

Self-Esteem

“An affective component of the self, consisting of a person’s positive and negative self-evaluations.” (Brem, Kassin, & Fein, 2002)

Personal: Self-esteem based on self perception

Collective: Self esteem based on group membership

Self-esteem & Stereotypes

Those who base their self-esteem on their own self perception tend to make up for low esteem by picking on others in order to raise self-esteem

Those who exhibit collective self-esteem make an attempt to remain positive about social identity, and therefore self-esteem

-(De Cremer, 2000)

Current Study

This study will look at the effects of an individual’s self-esteem (both personal and collective) on his/her unconscious tendency to stereotype.

Our Hypothesis

We believe that those with low self-esteem will have more

unconscious stereotypes than

those with high self-esteem.

Participants

Small Midwestern Liberal Arts College

41 total subjects 19 Male 22 Female

Between ages of 18-22 Freshman: 14 Sophomore: 14 Junior: 5 Senior: 9

Procedure

Informed Consent Demographics

SES status Age Number of siblings Major & Minor

Self-Esteem ScalesPersonal Self-Esteem (PSE) –

Using Rosenberg Self-Esteem InventoryExample question: “I am able to do things as well as most other people.”

Collective Self-Esteem (CSE) –

Example question: “I am a worthy member of the social groups I belong to.”

IAT Procedure

IAT Participants given specific

instructions in order to take the IAT: http://psychexps.olemiss.edu/Exps/IAT_Race/IATRace.htm

Before running subjects, set up project Placed assigned participant number in

as their “guest name.” Received another number/letter code To get our data ran selected our project

Debriefing

IAT Effect

IAT Main Effect

0

0.5

1

1.5

IAT Categories

Reac

tion

Tim

e

Congruent

Non-Congruent

IAT: F (1,39) = 75.99, p <.01 Gender: F (1,39) = .15, (n.s.) IAT x Gender: F (1,39) = .90, (n.s.)

IAT Scoring

IAT Difference Time = NC - C

-After obtaining the participants times offline, their congruent time was subtracted from their non-congruent time to obtain their IAT difference times.

Overall Results

r = -.119, (n.s.)

r =.036, (n.s.)

r = .495,p<.01

IAT Dif.

IAT Dif.

PSE

CSEPSE

Overall, we found no significant correlations with the IAT difference which means our hypothesis was not supported.

Results by Gender - Female

r = -.115, (n.s.)

r = -.409,p = .059

r = .710, p<.01

IAT Dif.

PSE

IAT Dif.

CSEPSE

Females show a trend towards a significant relationship between IAT and CSE

Results by Gender - Male

r = -.247, (n.s.)

r = .522, p<.05

r = .014, (n.s.)

IAT Dif.

IAT Dif.

PSE

PSE

CSE

Although with the men there is a significant correlation between IAT and CSE, it is a positive correlation which indicates the higher self-esteem men have, the more likely they are to implicitly stereotype.

Scatterplot

CSE

120110100908070

IAT

.8

.6

.4

.2

0.0

-.2

-.4

There is one outlier that could be driving the correlation, what would happen if it was taken out?

Let’s find out…

We Found Out

r = -.094, (n.s.)

r = .276, (n.s.)

r = .087, (n.s.)

IAT

IAT

CSEPSE

PSE

The correlation was no longer significant which leads us to believe that the correlation was not real.

CSE

1201101009080

IAT

.7

.6

.5

.4

.3

.2

.1

0.0

Discussion

Hypothesis not supported – why? IAT unconscious PSE and CSE are conscious

Discussion Continued

CSE and PSE highly correlated for women – but not for men What does this mean? Possible gender difference in

collective and personal self-esteem…women tend to base self-esteem more on group membership while men base their self-esteem on a more personal level.

Limitations

Small, Liberal Arts College Most males were from a single

fraternity Only had one non-Caucasian

participant (Pacific Islander)

Possible Future Directions

Develop an implicit measure of self-esteem Greenwald et. al (2002)

Look at the relationship between personal and collective self-esteem in men and women

More diversity in the sample

Questions