Dilution of stereotype-based cooperation in mixed-motive interdependence

This research expands the finding that nondiagnostic information about a target reduces the impact of stereotypes on person perception and social judgment. Specifically, we examined this dilution effect in settings of mixed-motive outcome-interdependence and studied stereotype-based cognition as well as cooperative behavior. Three experiments employing Prisoner's and Chicken Dilemma Games revealed that people cooperate less when category information suggests that the other is competitive and immoral rather than cooperative and honest, but not when nondiagnostic attribute information is added. Moreover, Experiment 3 shows that people are motivated to interpret attribute information as consistent with their stereotype-based beliefs; dilution occurs only when it is impossible to construe attribute information as consistent with the stereotype. Implications to both the person perception literature and interdependence and conflict resolution theories are discussed. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc