The Impact of Factual Versus Fictional Media Portrayals on Cultural Stereotypes

The present article explores how factual and fictional media portrayals may activate culturally shared racial and gender stereotypes and influence subsequent judgments involving members of stereotyped groups. In line with previous research (Power, Murphy, and Coover 1996), new data are presented that demonstrate that exposure to a stereotypic or counterstereotypic portrayal primes consistent interpretations of unrelated events (such as the Anita Hill-Clarence Thomas hearings, the William Kennedy Smith-Patricia Bowman rape accusations, and spousal abuse). Both cognitive and motivational factors such as ingroup-outgroup bias appear to influence the relative weight given factual as opposed to fictional portrayals. For instance, men were equally harsh in the wake of a stereotypic female portrayal regardless of whether they believed it to be factual or fictitious. Moreover, men tended to discount a fictitious counterstereotypic portrayal of a female, whereas women were more likely to dismiss a fictitious stereotypic portrayal. Recommendations are offered suggesting how media portrayals might successfully reduce prejudice.