# Liberals and conservatives respond divergently to stereotype portrayals of race and gender

## TL;DR

The paper shows that liberals and conservatives in the U.S. react differently to media portrayals of race and gender stereotypes.

## Contribution

The study reveals how political orientation influences evaluations of stereotype portrayals, with distinct patterns for racial minority and white models.

## Key findings

- Liberals endorse portrayals of racial minorities and incongruent stereotypes but not for white models.
- Conservatives prefer congruent stereotypes but show openness to incongruency when white models are featured.
- Responses to stereotypes vary in direction and magnitude depending on political orientation and model race.

## Abstract

Representation in the media has become a polarizing issue dividing conservatives and liberals in the U.S. In four experiments (N = 5125), we find that stereotype portrayal elicits divergent attitudinal, economic, and behavioral reactions from liberals and conservatives. Notably, these reactions differ when portrayals feature racial minority (Study 1, n = 958 & Study 2, n = 900) versus white models (Study 3, n = 783 & Study 4, n = 2484). Our findings demonstrate consistent divergence in responses to stereotype congruent versus incongruent portrayals between liberals and conservatives, although the direction and magnitude of differences vary. Liberals and conservatives display both variability and consistency in their divergent evaluations: liberals endorse portrayals of minority races and of incongruency but withhold this endorsement for solely white models, whereas conservatives typically prefer congruent portrayals, but show an openness towards incongruency when white models are featured. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for navigating the current sociopolitical landscape, especially in contexts where representations of race and gender identities are contentious.

Across four experiments, findings indicate that conservatives and liberals divergently evaluate stereotype portrayals of race and gender, displaying both consistency and variability in their preference for stereotypes depicted by racial minority or white male and female models.