An unobtrusive study of reactions to national stereotypes in four european countries

Abstract

In a cross-cultural adaptation of Doob and Gross' unobtrusive technique, reactions to national stereotypes were evaluated in four European countries, Germany, France, Spain, and Italy (N = 120). In matched trials traffic was temporarily blocked at selected intersections, and the latency and duration of the resulting aggressive response (honking) were analyzed as a function of the nationality of the offending vehicle and the nationality of the Ss. The latency of honking was found to be significantly affected both by the national insignia displayed on the vehicle and the nationality of the Ss, while no significant sex differences were found. The results suggest the applicability of this technique for the unobtrusive measurement of attitudes to national stereotypes. © 1976 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.