Report The effect of interethnic ideologies on the likability of stereotypic vs. counterstereotypic minority targets Angélica S. Gutiérrez * ,1 , Miguel M. Unzueta 1 Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles, 110 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1481, United States article info Article history: Received 6 November 2009 Revised 19 March 2010 Available online 27 March 2010 Keywords: Interethnic ideologies Multiculturalism Colorblindness Race Stereotypes abstract This paper examines the effect of interethnic ideologies on the likability of stereotypic vs. counterstereo- typic minority targets. In two experiments, participants were exposed to either a multicultural or color- blind prime and subsequently asked to indicate their impressions of a stereotypic or counterstereotypic minority target. Results suggest that multiculturalism and colorblindness have different effects on the likability of minority targets to the extent that such targets confirm the existence of fixed or permeable ethnic group boundaries. Specifically, a stereotypic target was liked more than a counterstereotypic tar- get when participants were exposed to multiculturalism – suggesting that multiculturalism creates a preference for individuals who remain within the boundaries of their ethnicity. Conversely, a counterste- reotypic target was liked more than a stereotypic target when participants were exposed to colorblind- ness – suggesting that colorblindness creates a preference for individuals who permeate the boundaries of their ethnicity. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Ó 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. Although the Civil Rights Movement was successful in eliminat- ing most instances of overt discrimination in public accommoda- tions and employment (Takaki, 1993), discrimination between racial groups persists in the present day (Esses, Jackson, Dovidio, & Hodson, 2005; Zhong, Galinksy, & Unzueta, 2008). In order to ameliorate racial tensions and promote intergroup harmony, scholars and social critics have argued for the proliferation of two competing interethnic ideologies: colorblindness vs. multiculturalism. According to colorblind ideology, racial and ethnic differences should be ignored and everyone should be judged as individual hu- man beings (Ryan, Hunt, Weible, Peterson, & Casas, 2007). More- over, colorblindness suggests that racial group membership should in no way affect individuals’ life outcomes, such as in hiring and school admission contexts (Knowles, Lowery, Hogan, & Chow, 2009). By de-emphasizing the psychological boundaries that differ- entiate groups and treating everyone equally (Correll, Park, & Smith, 2008), a colorblind approach is purported to increase inter- group harmony. Multiculturalism, rather than disregarding racial and ethnic dif- ferences, emphasizes the importance of recognizing and respecting the different historical and cultural experiences of distinct racial groups (Sleeter, 1991). Multiculturalism further proposes that exposure to diverse others allows individuals to learn about other cultures that are not their own (Hurtado, 2001). By providing indi- viduals with such learning opportunities, multiculturalism is thought to contribute to intergroup harmony. Despite the purported benefits of both multiculturalism and colorblindness, neither ideology lacks its share of criticism. For in- stance, multiculturalism is criticized on the basis that it is per- ceived to exclude non-minorities (Stevens, Plaut, & Sanchez- Burks, 2008; see also Unzueta & Binning, in press) and potentially threatens social cohesion (Barry, 2001). Colorblindness is criticized on the grounds that it diminishes meaningful cultural differences and potentially helps maintain racial inequality (Bonilla-Silva, 2003). Even though the debate over these ideologies has persisted for many years (Moscovici, 1984), only recently have the psychological effects of multiculturalism and colorblindness been explored. For example, Richeson and Nussbaum (2004) found that priming peo- ple with colorblindness relative to multiculturalism leads to great- er racial bias on both explicit and implicit measures of prejudice. Other studies suggest that multiculturalism relative to colorblind- ness increases stereotype use (Wolsko, Park, Judd, & Wittenbrink, 2000). Thus, recent research has begun to uncover the unintended psychological consequences of exposure to these interethnic ideologies. The present research The present paper suggests that because colorblind and multi- cultural ideology both contain assumptions about the desirability 0022-1031/$ - see front matter Ó 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.jesp.2010.03.010 * Corresponding author. E-mail address: angelica.gutierrez.2012@anderson.ucla.edu (A.S. Gutiérrez). 1 These authors contributed equally to this article. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 46 (2010) 775–784 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Experimental Social Psychology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jesp