Construal Level Stereotypes: Perceived Differences in Groups’ Abstract Versus Concrete Cognitive Tendencies

Abstract

Individuals can construe the world around them more concretely or more abstractly, with consequences for their judgments and behaviors. With five studies involving 3,963 U.S. adult participants, we test whether people hold stereotypes about the tendency for different groups to think more concretely or more abstractly. Across Studies 1 to 3, individuals report explicit and consistent construal level stereotypes about social groups in various demographic, occupational, and non-human categories. In Studies 2 and 3, we provide evidence that construal level stereotypes are correlated with, yet distinct from, stereotypes about their competence, agency, and power. In Studies 4 and 5, we offer evidence of predictive validity with two experiments showing that individuals use construal level stereotypes to inform employee selection decisions. These findings integrate and advance two major topics in social cognition: construal level theory and stereotyping. We discuss societal implications of construal level stereotypes predicting behaviors associated with discrimination in resource allocation.