Linguistic Stereotypes and Metastereotypes Among General and Southern American English Speakers: Content and Associations with Intergroup Anxiety

Self-identified General American English (GAE) and Southern American English (SAE) speakers reported their stereotypes toward their ingroup (endostereotypes) and the outgroup (exostereotypes); their beliefs about how the outgroup stereotypes their ingroup (metastereotypes); and their intergroup anxiety. Both groups stereotyped GAE speakers as more competent than warm and SAE speakers as more warm than competent. Examination of respondents’ metastereotypes showed that both groups correctly recognized the direction of the outgroup's stereotypes, but negatively exaggerated their degree. Multiple regression analyses showed that intergroup anxiety was a function of exostereotypes and metastereotypes (but not endostereotypes), with more positive beliefs associated with lower anxiety.