Frequency of contact and stereotyping.

Abstract

Abstract : Six samples of Ss were tested with an instrument which utilized a semantic differential format. The 'concepts' were 'Americans in general tend to be' and 'Greeks in general tend to be.' The scales were characteristics obtained from unstructured interviews of Americans and Greeks working together in jobs requiring face-to-face social relations. The six samples varied in the degree of contact. Maximum contact groups consisted of Americans and Greeks working together; medium contact groups consisted of Americans living in Athens taking a university course, and Greek university students studying in Illinois; minimum contact groups consisted of American students in Illinois and Greek students at the University of Athens. The autostereotypes and heterostereotypes of the six samples were investigated. It was found that the autostereotype of the American samples having contact with Greeks is more favorable than the autostereotype of the Americans having no contact; the autostereotypes of the three Greek samples show no differences. The heterostereotype of Americans concerning Greeks is less favorable for the maximum than the minimum contact groups; the heterostereotype of Greeks concerning Americans is more favorable for the maximum than for the minimum contact groups. A theoretical integration of these results is offered.

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