Intrinsic dynamics of stereotypical judgment: Ethnicity versus behavior

White Americans today hold complex, conflicting attitudes towards Black Americans. This research tracked participants' thoughts over time as they evaluated members of different ethnic groups performing action that was either congruent or conflicting with the stereotypes associated with the ethnic group. White and Black participants recorded their moment-to-moment feelings towards White and Black targets (represented by a photograph on the screen), and then used a computer mouse to express the feelings portrayed in their recordings. Results indicated that when Black participants evaluated a Black target committing a negative act, they expressed negative feelings, accompanied by highly dynamic changes in thought. In contrast to the results of preliminary research, White participants' judgment displayed a simple behavior effect. Results suggest that in-group/out-group judgment might reflect different dynamic properties depending on the particular ethnic groups. Future research should explore the intrinsic dynamics associated with stereotypical judgement from specific socio-historic perspectives.