Personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem, and self-concept clarity as moderators of the impact of perceived consensus on stereotypes

Past research has demonstrated that in-group consensus information influences individual stereotypic beliefs. This study examined the moderating role of personal self-esteem, collective self-esteem, and self-concept clarity. Participants estimated the prevalence of characteristics possessed by African-Americans and estimated the views held by fellow students. One week later, participants were told that their fellow students' views were either more positive or more negative than the participants' original estimates. Participants with high identity, high public collective self-esteem, and low self-concept clarity were more likely to conform to the new consensus information. These results suggest that the racial beliefs of others significantly alter the racial attitudes of people who are chronically unsure of their self-attributes and whose identities are invested in their group membership.