Internalized Cultural Heuristics of Warmth and Competence in Identity Labels: The Indirect Indexicality of Stereotype and Emotional Reaction Activation as a Function of Social Media Exposure

The stereotype content model (SCM) theorizes how stereotypic attribution profiles predict individuals’ emotional outcomes to social groups. However, how such culturally ingrained stereotypic attributions and emotional outcomes could be activated under minimal context media conditions (e.g., solely via identity label media exposure, with no additional identity content), merits investigation. In this research context, the semiotic construct of indirect indexicality is applied to the SCM to explore the activation and use of stereotype-based judgments under such conditions. Specifically, an experiment is conducted to examine how social media exposure to basic identity labels could activate heuristic stereotypical and emotional outcomes relative to a control baseline, with all other post content held constant. Results Results demonstrate that mere identity label exposure serves as a linguistic cue sufficient to enhance reliance on SCM attributions and emotional outcomes, relative to a baseline, when making broader group judgments. Furthermore, findings reveal emotional outcomes extending beyond SCM predictions. Moderating influences, including intergroup contact, are discussed.