Abstract

This experiment was performed to test the effect of information of the ingroup and the outgroup norms on sexism. Norms(a norm advocating the equal rights for women/a norm advocating inequality between men and women) and the group(ingroup/outgroup) of the participants were manipulated by presenting the arguments regarding the affirmative action policy for women on the internet homepage board. Dependent variables were the attitude regarding affirmative action policy and the IAT effect. The mean of control group was subtracted from the means obtained in the experimental conditions to be used as the primary dependent measures. Participants in the ingroup-equal norm condition showed more favorable attitude regarding the affirmative action policy than those in the ingroup-unequal norm condition. Results of the analysis of the IAT effects suggested that male participants in the ingroup-equal norm condition showed significantly less prejudiced attitude than those in the ingroup-unequal norm condition. According to the multiple regression mediation analysis, the information of group norm of the ingroup in comparison with that of the outgroup affected the explicit attitudes through the mediation process in which the perception of the ingroup norm led to the perception of the norm of the society regarding the expression of prejudice. However, this mediation effect was not found for the implicit attitude measure. The theoretical and the practical implications of these findings were discussed.