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Social stereotypes and automatic goal pursuit

Publication ,  Journal Article
Aarts, H; Chartrand, TL; Custers, R; Danner, U; Dik, G; Jefferis, VE; Cheng, CM
Published in: Social Cognition
December 1, 2005

Our repertoire of social behavior may include the ability to grasp and take on the goals of others automatically - that is, without conscious intent. Two experiments tested and confirmed the hypothesis that priming social groups causes individuals to pursue the goals stereotypical for members of those groups. Study 1 found that participants provided more feedback to help another person optimizing a computer task after subliminal priming of social groups associated with a helping goal. Importantly, these goal priming effects were qualified by goal strength: participants helped more when the concept of helping more strongly preexisted as a goal or desired state in the participant's mind. Study 2 established that participants worked harder on an unrelated task instrumental in attaining the goal to make money after priming social groups related to this goal. Implications for stereotype activation and automatic goal pursuit are discussed.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Social Cognition

DOI

EISSN

0278-016X

ISSN

0278-016X

Publication Date

December 1, 2005

Volume

23

Issue

6

Start / End Page

465 / 490

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • Political Science & Public Administration
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 4408 Political science
  • 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
  • 1606 Political Science
 

Citation

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Aarts, H., Chartrand, T. L., Custers, R., Danner, U., Dik, G., Jefferis, V. E., & Cheng, C. M. (2005). Social stereotypes and automatic goal pursuit. Social Cognition, 23(6), 465–490. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2005.23.6.465
Aarts, H., T. L. Chartrand, R. Custers, U. Danner, G. Dik, V. E. Jefferis, and C. M. Cheng. “Social stereotypes and automatic goal pursuit.” Social Cognition 23, no. 6 (December 1, 2005): 465–90. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2005.23.6.465.
Aarts H, Chartrand TL, Custers R, Danner U, Dik G, Jefferis VE, et al. Social stereotypes and automatic goal pursuit. Social Cognition. 2005 Dec 1;23(6):465–90.
Aarts, H., et al. “Social stereotypes and automatic goal pursuit.” Social Cognition, vol. 23, no. 6, Dec. 2005, pp. 465–90. Scopus, doi:10.1521/soco.2005.23.6.465.
Aarts H, Chartrand TL, Custers R, Danner U, Dik G, Jefferis VE, Cheng CM. Social stereotypes and automatic goal pursuit. Social Cognition. 2005 Dec 1;23(6):465–490.
Journal cover image

Published In

Social Cognition

DOI

EISSN

0278-016X

ISSN

0278-016X

Publication Date

December 1, 2005

Volume

23

Issue

6

Start / End Page

465 / 490

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Psychology
  • Political Science & Public Administration
  • 5205 Social and personality psychology
  • 5204 Cognitive and computational psychology
  • 4408 Political science
  • 2202 History and Philosophy of Specific Fields
  • 1702 Cognitive Sciences
  • 1701 Psychology
  • 1606 Political Science