Warmth and Competence and the Communication of Anger and Sadness: Investigating an Emotion-Stereotype Content Matching Hypothesis

Abstract

Research shows that social groups as well as emotions can be stereotypically categorized on dimensions of warmth and competence. In the present study, I argue that a match between group stereotype and communicated emotion can lead to more perceived trustworthiness of a person, and more positive conflict intentions in an observer. In an experiment with manipulation of stereotype content (cold and competent versus warmth and incompetent) and emotions (anger versus sadness), results provide support for both a warm and incompetent stereotype and sadness leading to more trustworthiness, and a cold and competent stereotype and anger leading to, opposite of the hypothesis, more negative conflict intentions. Furthermore, sadness was found to be more appropriate than anger, especially when communicated by a warm stereotype. Additionally, results show that because anger is perceived as less appropriate, it leads to more negative conflict intentions. I discuss these findings considering previous studies and present implications for theory and practice. Overall, the results of this study are the first attempt to examine the emotion-stereotype matching hypothesis. Future studies should further investigate how it influences communication of emotions and conflict behavior.