Stereotype Content Model Explains Prejudice for an Envied Outgroup: Scale of Anti-Asian American Stereotypes

• Published in: Personality & social psychology bulletin Vol. 31; no. 1; pp. 34 - 47
• Main Authors: Lin, Monica H., Kwan, Virginia S. Y., Cheung, Anna, Fiske, Susan T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2005; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Asian American people; Asian Americans; Asian Americans - ethnology; Envy; Humans; Mental Competency - psychology; Models, Psychological; Outgroups; Prejudice; Racial attitudes; Social Behavior; Social psychology; Stereotypes; USA; ambivalent; prejudice; stereotype; Asian American; attitude
• ISSN: 0146-1672; 1552-7433
• DOI: 10.1177/0146167204271320

The Stereotype Content Model hypothesizes anti-Asian American stereotypes differentiating two dimensions: (excessive) competence and (deficient) sociability. The Scale of Anti-Asian American Stereotypes (SAAAS) shows this envious mixed prejudice in six studies. Study 1 began with 131 racial attitude items. Studies 2 and 3 tested 684 respondents on a focused 25-item version. Studies 4 and 5 tested the final 25-item SAAAS on 222 respondents at three campuses; scores predicted outgroup friendships, cultural experiences, and (over)estimated campus presence. Study 6 showed that allegedly low sociability, rather than excessively high competence, drives rejection of Asian Americans, consistent with system justification theory. The SAAAS demonstrates mixed, envious anti-Asian American prejudice, contrasting with more-often-studied contemptuous racial prejudices (i.e., against Blacks).