Reversing roles: a cognitive strategy for undoing memory deficits associated with token status

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Tokens, individuals distinct from the majority in a group, often experience cognitive deficits.
• Previous research has not fully explained the mechanisms behind these token deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if assuming the role of a judge mitigates cognitive deficits in tokens.
• To test hypotheses explaining the cognitive deficits experienced by tokens.

Main Methods:

• Three experiments were conducted where participants (Ss) acted as tokens in group interactions.
• Ss were tasked with remembering opinions exchanged during these interactions.
• The role of judge was experimentally assigned to investigate its effect on memory and cognitive function.

Main Results:

• Adopting a judge role improved memory performance for tokens, particularly when judging majority members.
• The benefits of the judge role were observed irrespective of whether others knew about the judging, ruling out insulation from scrutiny.
• The judge role fully restored cognitive capacities, and heightened responsibility was not the explanation for improved memory.

Conclusions:

• The judge role can effectively reduce or eliminate cognitive deficits experienced by tokens.
• Cognitive restructuring of social environments, such as adopting a judge role, may enhance token performance.
• Future interventions for tokens should consider empowering them to alter their social-cognitive roles.