Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
acceptedVersion
Publication Date
6-2018
Abstract
Research conducted in Western cultures indicates that perspective-taking is an effective social strategy for reducing stereotyping. The current article explores whether and why the effects of perspective-taking on stereotyping differ across cultures. Studies 1 and 2 established that perspective-taking reduces stereotyping in Western but not in East Asian cultures. Using a socioecological framework, Studies 2 and 3 found that relational mobility, that is, the extent to which individuals’ social environments provide them opportunities to choose new relationships and terminate old ones, explained our effect: Perspective-taking was negatively associated with stereotyping in relationally mobile (Western) but not in relationally stable (East Asian) environments. Finally, Study 4 examined the proximal psychological mechanism underlying the socioecological effect: Individuals in relationally mobile environments are more motivated to develop new relationships than those in relationally stable environments. Subsequently, when this motivation is high, perspective-taking increases self-target group overlap, which then decreases stereotyping.
Keywords
perspective-taking, stereotyping, cultural differences, relational mobility
Discipline
Multicultural Psychology | Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
Volume
44
Issue
6
First Page
928
Last Page
943
ISSN
0146-1672
Identifier
10.1177/0146167218757453
Publisher
SAGE Publications (UK and US)
Citation
WANG, Cynthia S., LEE, Margaret, KU, Gillian, & LEUNG, Angela K. Y., .(2018). The cultural boundaries of perspective-taking: When and why perspective-taking reduces stereotyping. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 44(6), 928-943.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2689
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167218757453