Cross-dimension-ambivalent in-group stereotypes: The moderating roles of social context of stereotype endorsement and ingroup identification

In this study, the authors examined in-group stereotypes that are crossdimensionally
ambivalent—simultaneously (a) positive in cognition-related content
dimensions and negative in affect-related content dimensions or (b) negative in cognitionrelated
content dimensions and positive in affect-related content dimensions—to establish
whether endorsement of such in-group stereotypes depends on whether this process occurs
in an intragroup versus intergroup context. Drawing on social identity theory, the authors
predicted that (a) endorsement of cross-dimension-ambivalent in-group stereotypes would
be greater in an intragroup, relative to an intergroup, context and (b) this would hold for
high but not low in-group identifiers. Confirming these hypotheses, results showed that
endorsement of cross-dimension-ambivalent in-group stereotypes may vary as a function
of their contribution to securing a positive social identity.