Beyond Warmth and Competence: Implications of Vertical and Horizontal Stereotypes for Low-Status Group Members

Stereotypes toward social groups are closely associated with social positions and intergroup relations (Fiske et al., 2002). The association between group status and attributes of competence and motivation can support the belief that social positions are fair and legitimate, thereby perpetuating inequality (Jost & Banaji, 1994). In everyday life, individuals engage in evaluations of self and others to “navigate the social world”, which are influenced by group memberships and associated stereotypes. The integrated model of social evaluation suggests that social evaluation occurs on a vertical dimension, which includes ability and assertiveness, and a horizontal dimension, which includes sociability and morality (Abele et al., 2021). Disentangling these subdimensions in the analysis of stereotypes can offer insights into understanding of their implications for low-status groups, as they are differentially associated with status, social identity, self-efficacy, and well-being. This research examined the subdimensions of stereotypes toward a low-status group, i.e., southern Italians, and their relationship with perceived status and socio-economic inequality, from the target group perspective. Four studies were conducted to analyze the relationship between perceived stereotypes, group status, and psychological well-being. Study 1 analyzed the content of stereotypes toward southern Italians, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to analyze subdimensions in spontaneous stereotypes in language. Study 2 examined the relationship between stereotype content, perceived group status, and individual differences in economic system justification. In Study 3, the effect of social identity salience on implicit associations between the group identity and vertical attributes was experimentally investigated. Study 4 examined the psychological impact of individual and social threatening situations such as negative vertical rumors in professional or academic contexts. The results of these studies highlight that applying a multifaceted approach to the investigation of social stereotypes can add novel insights into their potential societal and individual implications for members of low-status groups