The effect of exemplar activation on mental representations of the ingroup: the moderating role of relative ingroup size

The current research explores the effects of exemplars on the stereotype representation of one's ingroup. Previous research demonstrated that exposure to an ingroup exemplar affects the stereotype one holds of one's ingroup (Coats & Smith, 1999). The primary purpose of the present study was to examine whether this effect is moderated by relative ingroup size. Participants were placed into either a minority or majority group situation and exposed to 1 of 2 dissimilar exemplars of their ingroup. Later, they rated their ingroup. Ratings of the ingroup differed between exemplar conditions in unexpected ways, indicating that the exemplar affected participants' stereotype of their ingroup. Furthermore, exemplars had a stronger effect on participants in the minority group than those in the majority group. Finally, relative ingroup size and, to a marginal extent, exemplars were found to affect ratings of ingroup variability.