The malleability of reliance on race or ethnic vs. gender stereotypes in implicit person perception in the presence of counterstereotypic individuating information: A registered report

The proposed studies will test two competing hypotheses and one additional hypothesis. The first hypothesis is that reliance on ethnic or race stereotypes in implicit person perception is more malleable than reliance on gender stereotypes in implicit person perception in response to counterstereotypic individuating information. The competing hypothesis is that reliance on ethnic or race and gender stereotypes in implicit person perception are equally malleable in response to such information. An additional hypothesis is that reliance on weaker stereotypes in implicit person perception is more malleable than reliance on stronger stereotypes in response to counterstereotypic individuating information. Studies 1 and 2 will test the competing hypotheses using the same stereotyped attributes as they apply to both gender and racial or ethnic groups to maximize experimental control and will utilize race or ethnic stereotypes that are stronger than gender stereotypes, unlike previous research. Study 3 will fully cross the strength of the stereotype with the type of stereotyped group (gender vs. ethnic) to test the stereotype strength hypothesis and thus rule out alternative explanations for the results. To maximize generalizability, Study 4 will comprise an aggregation of 14 studies that are capable of testing the competing hypotheses: Studies 1–3 in the present research, and 11 previous studies that used the present research design. Regardless of which hypotheses are supported, the present research will contribute to a growing body of knowledge about the circumstances under which implicit associations prevail vs. can be shifted by valid, relevant information in the social environment.