Determinants of automatic age and race bias: ingroup-outgroup distinction salience moderates automatic evaluations of social groups

Introduction: The present research investigates whether ingroup–outgroup distinction salience moderates automatic intergroup bias (i.e., more positive evaluations of ingroup targets relative to outgroup targets) toward multiply categorizable social targets. Methods: In two experiments, we manipulated the salience of participants' social identity based on age vs. race, respectively. Afterwards, we measured automatic evaluations of social targets varying in age and race using an Evaluative Priming Task (EPT). Results: Young White participants exhibited higher automatic race bias when their racial identity (White vs. Black) was salient; conversely, they exhibited higher automatic age bias when their age identity (young vs. old) was salient. Discussion: Going beyond previous research, we show that it is sufficient to direct participants' attention to their ingroup identity in contrast to the respective outgroup to cause changes in automatic intergroup bias. This provides a strong test of the hypothesis that ingroup–outgroup distinction salience moderates automatic intergroup bias.

Stephanie Heitmann, Regina Reichardt