Kray,
Reb, Galinsky, & Thompson, 2004
Two experiments examined conditions under which
stereotype threat might produce reactance,
behavior in opposition to stereotype threat. In
Experiment 1, male-female negotiation dyads were given
either a strong or weak gender stereotype manipulation
implying male superiority in negotiating. One of
the negotiation partners was provided with social power
by suggesting that they could leave the negotiation and
still receive a good settlement, and the individual with
high power was female in half the dyads and male in the
other half of dyads. Results showed that
high-powered negotiators were more effective than
negotiators low in power, but this was true only when
male gender stereotypes had been strongly instantiated.
In addition, negotiators behaved in a more contentious
fashion under the strong stereotype manipulation. These
effects occurred regardless of gender, suggesting that
women did not succumb to, but in fact reacted against,
stereotype threat. In Experiment 2, stereotypes were
either strongly or weakly invoked to suggest female
superiority in negotiation. High-powered
negotiators performed more effectively than low-powered
negotiators, but joint payoffs were maximized in the
strong female stereotype condition, suggesting that
female stereotypes of generosity, attentiveness, and
communication prevailed for both male and female
negotiators in this condition. These results show
that when stereotypes are activated explicitly,
individuals low in power who are subjected to the
limiting stereotype can assimilate their behavior to
attributes that are tied to success in a domain.
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