The pot calling the kettle black: Selective self-stereotyping among African Americans

Abstract

Stereotypes about minority groups are pervasive throughout American society (Fiske, 1998; Czopp & Monteith, 2006). These stereotypes are not only held by the majority, but internalized and endorsed by minorities themselves (Sniderman & Piazza, 1993). However, recent literature shows that the endorsement of these stereotypes is not as uniform among individuals as previously thought, but rather that individuals have a tendency to engage in selective self-stereotyping as a response to the threat of negative in-group characterizations (Biernat, Vescio, & Green, 1996; Oswald & Chapleau, 2010). Minority members may not deny the existence or validity of negative stereotypes, but rather selectively embrace the positive traits as descriptive of themselves while dismissing the applicability of the negative traits. The present study examined the extent to which African American adults engaged in selective self-stereotyping. Participants were asked to rate how much both positive and negative traits apply to themselves, and to the Black community as a whole. Results indicated that African Americans endorsed positive stereotypes as characteristic of themselves to a greater degree than negative stereotypes. Additionally, participants applied more negative stereotypes to the Black Community than they did to themselves. These findings suggest that this form of selective self-stereotyping acts as a protective measure for the individual’s self-image while still being able to reconcile the reality of societal perceptions of their stigmatized ingroup.