Abstract

This research was to investigate the effects of contextualized perception and decontextualized perception from a specific role relation on stereotype. In this study, two hypotheses were established. One is that contextualized perception from a specific role increased stereotype because people use role expectation as judgment criterion in evaluating others(hypothesis I). Another is that decontextualized perception from a specific role decreased stereotype because the perception of descriptive meaning on other traits would be increased(hypothesis II). In study 1, a gender role contextualized condition and a race role contextualizd condition were manipu­lated, the judgement criterion was measured by impression judgement on others to whom a specific role had been given, and contents of gender stereotype and racial stereotype were measured by inferring their traits, also. In result, in gender role condition agentic values and communal values were the judge- ment criteria., while in race role condition protestant ethic values and consideration values were the judgment criteria. Moreover, the traits(gender stereotype traits and race stereotype traits) consistent with the judgment criteria were more bias inferred as role-contextualized condition. In study 2, a gender role con- textualized condition and a uncontextualized condition were manipulated, amounts of stereotype processing of targets traits measured in two conditions. In result, stereotype processing more increased in consistent- traits than in inconsistent-traits with judgement criteria of targets, and was increased more in contextualized condition than in uncontextualizd condition. In results of study 1, 2, the hypothesis I was supported. In study 3, a gender role contextualized condition and a decontextualized condition were manipulated, and gender stereo­-type was measured and the perception of descriptive meaning on 'gender role traits also was measured by using traits-classification-task. In result, gender stereotype was more decreased, and the perception of descriptive meaning on 'gender role traits was increased in decontextualized condition than in contextu­alized condition. Therefore hypothesis II was supported. In discussion, the implications and validity of role-contextualization hypothesis in explaining stereotype was discussed.