Abstract

The present study examined the effects of representative information of groups and the type of social comparison on evaluations of groups and their individual members. Experiment showed that evaluations of the groups were based on the representative information of the groups. The statistical means of test scores of two target groups were made to be identical with each other. However, the group with a negative representative information was evaluated more negatively than the group with a positive representative information was. Depending on the type of social comparison, evaluations on individuals were different. In between-group comparison condition, the evaluations on individual members were assimilated to the impression of the group. Although target individuals from two different groups had an identical test score, the target person who belonged to the group with a positive representative information was evaluated more positively than the target person who belonged to the group with a negative representative information. In within-group comparison condition, we examined the hypothesis that the evaluations of individual members would be contrasted to the evaluations of groups. The target individuals who belonged to the group with a negative representative information were expected to be evaluated more positively than the individuals who belonged to the group with a positive representative information. The result of the experiment partially supported the hypothesis. The expected results were found only in the middle range of the test scores of the groups. Implications of the experiment on the study of stereotypes, evaluation, and happiness were discussed.