Volume 48, Issue 1 p. 1-33

Stereotype content model across cultures: Towards universal similarities and some differences

Amy J. C. Cuddy

Corresponding Author

Amy J. C. Cuddy

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr Amy J. C. Cuddy, Harvard Business School, Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA 02163 USA (e-mail: [email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
Susan T. Fiske

Susan T. Fiske

Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

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Virginia S. Y. Kwan

Virginia S. Y. Kwan

Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA

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Peter Glick

Peter Glick

Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin, USA

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Stéphanie Demoulin

Stéphanie Demoulin

Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

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Jacques-Philippe Leyens

Jacques-Philippe Leyens

Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

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Michael Harris Bond

Michael Harris Bond

Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong

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Jean-Claude Croizet

Jean-Claude Croizet

University of Poitiers, Poitiers, France

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Naomi Ellemers

Naomi Ellemers

Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Ed Sleebos

Ed Sleebos

Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

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Tin Tin Htun

Tin Tin Htun

Japan Women's University, Tokyo, Japan

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Hyun-Jeong Kim

Hyun-Jeong Kim

Ewha Women's University, Seoul, South Korea

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Greg Maio

Greg Maio

Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK

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Judi Perry

Judi Perry

University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway

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Kristina Petkova

Kristina Petkova

Institute of Sociology, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Valery Todorov

Valery Todorov

Institute of Sociology, Sofia, Bulgaria

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Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón

Rosa Rodríguez-Bailón

University of Granada, Granada, Spain

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Elena Morales

Elena Morales

University of Granada, Granada, Spain

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Miguel Moya

Miguel Moya

University of Granada, Granada, Spain

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Marisol Palacios

Marisol Palacios

University of Granada, Granada, Spain

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Vanessa Smith

Vanessa Smith

University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica

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Rolando Perez

Rolando Perez

University of Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica

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Jorge Vala

Jorge Vala

University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

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Rene Ziegler

Rene Ziegler

Eberhard-Karls-Universitaet Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany

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First published: 10 January 2011
Citations: 604

After the first six authors, the remaining authors are listed alphabetically by the last name of our primary contact at the university.

Abstract

The stereotype content model (SCM) proposes potentially universal principles of societal stereotypes and their relation to social structure. Here, the SCM reveals theoretically grounded, cross-cultural, cross-groups similarities and one difference across 10 non-US nations. Seven European (individualist) and three East Asian (collectivist) nations (N=1,028) support three hypothesized cross-cultural similarities: (a) perceived warmth and competence reliably differentiate societal group stereotypes; (b) many out-groups receive ambivalent stereotypes (high on one dimension; low on the other); and (c) high status groups stereotypically are competent, whereas competitive groups stereotypically lack warmth. Data uncover one consequential cross-cultural difference: (d) the more collectivist cultures do not locate reference groups (in-groups and societal prototype groups) in the most positive cluster (high-competence/high-warmth), unlike individualist cultures. This demonstrates out-group derogation without obvious reference-group favouritism. The SCM can serve as a pancultural tool for predicting group stereotypes from structural relations with other groups in society, and comparing across societies.