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Stereotype distinctiveness: how counterstereotypic behavior shapes the self-concept
W von Hippel1, C Hawkins, J W Schooler
1Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, USA. w.vonhippel@unsw.edu.au
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|August 25, 2001
Summary
Feeling unique in areas of strong performance boosts self-concept. Counterstereotypic achievements, especially, significantly shape self-schematicity and personal identity development.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Self-Concept Research
Background:
- Self-schematicity refers to the cognitive and affective importance of a domain to an individual's self-concept.
- Distinctiveness is a key factor influencing self-perception and identity formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between distinctiveness and self-schematicity.
- To explore how performance, particularly counterstereotypic performance, influences self-schematicity within social stereotypes.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted to examine the interplay of distinctiveness, performance, and self-schematicity.
- Participants' feelings of distinctiveness and performance in specific domains were assessed.
Main Results:
- Self-schematicity was higher in domains of strong performance when individuals felt distinct from their social groups.
- Counterstereotypic performance (e.g., women excelling in academics) increased self-schematicity more than stereotypic performance.
- Specific demographic differences emerged, with African Americans and women more schematic for intelligence after academic success, and Caucasians/men more schematic for athletics after athletic success.
Conclusions:
- Distinctiveness from social groups plays a crucial role in developing self-schematicity.
- Counterstereotypic behavior has a particularly potent impact on the formation and structure of the self-concept.
- These findings highlight the dynamic interplay between social context, individual performance, and self-identity.