close this window
Chief Wahoo’s Revenge: One Stereotype Begets Another
New research finds exposure to Native American mascots increases one’s tendency to stereotype a different ethnic group.
When activists petition to remove Native American mascots from the logos of sports teams, the answer of traditionalists often boils down to: What’s the harm?
Newly published research provides an unexpected answer. It suggests exposure to one stereotype — however whimsical or benign in its intent — apparently activates others.
A research team led by psychologist Chu Kim-Prieto of The College of New Jersey examined the way our brains react to seeing or reading about a Native American sports team mascot. It conducted two experiments using Chief Illiniwek, a mythical figure who served as the official symbol of University of Illinois athletics from the 1920s until 2007.
The researchers decided to explore whether exposure to this sort of Native American imagery would increase stereotypical thinking regarding Asian Americans. That particular ethnic group was chosen because stereotypes about Asians are quite different from stereotypes about American Indians. If one evoked the other in spite of those differences, it would presumably mean a general tendency to stereotype had been activated.
In the first study, conducted on the University of Illinois’ Champaign-Urbana campus, 79 students selected at random filled out a 25-item “Scale of Anti-Asian American Stereotypes.” Participants rated on a one-to-five scale whether they agreed with such statements as “Asian Americans are motivated to obtain too much power in our society.”
For one-third of the survey takers, the questionnaire was pulled out of a folder decorated with stickers depicting Chief Illiniwek. For another third, the folder was festooned with the capital letter “I,” the alternate logo of U of I athletics. For the final third, the folder was blank.
The results: Those exposed to the image of the mascot, however peripherally, endorsed anti-Asian American stereotypes to a greater extent than those in the other two groups.
The second experiment was conducted at The College of New Jersey. The 161 participants were randomly assigned to read one of two short essays: A descriptive history of Chief Illiniwek taken from the U of I website, or a description of that same university’s arts center. Both essays “were complimentary and respectful in tone,” the researchers note.
Afterwards, the same test to measure anti-Asian American stereotyping was administered. “Participants who were assigned to the American Indian reading passage endorsed anti-Asian American stereotypes to a greater extent than did those in the control condition,” Kim-Prieto and her colleagues report.
Their conclusion: “One’s reliance on stereotypes appears to be heightened with increased exposure to stereotypes, regardless of whom the stereotype is portraying.”
In a 2002 paper in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, a group of scholars led by C. Richard King of Washington State University concluded “the stereotypes created by school and professional sports mascots carry over into the everyday lives of American Indians every day.”
This new research suggests their impact may in fact be far more wide-ranging. Decisions to phase out this imagery, including those made by the NCAA and, most recently, the Wisconsin state legislature, may have a greater positive effect than even their proponents realize.
word on the street
- David Lee McMullen
- QuestionEverything
- Harvey Gunderson
- Harvey Gunderson
- DJM
- Harvey Gunderson
- Aunt Ant
- Kurt
- dennis running hawk
more in this section
Help Black Children? Sure! Teens? Not So Much.
Fear Heightens Appreciation of Abstract Art
Oxytocin Levels Predict Longevity of Love Affairs
The Perceived Delicacy of the Female Conductor
Pressure to Conform Can Inspire Creativity
Children’s Books Increasingly Ignore Natural World
Morning People May Be More Creative in the Afternoon
Sex on the Brain Proves Costly for Men
Bitter About Your Life? Blame Facebook
‘Fair Trade’ Chocolate Perceived as Healthier
also by this author
Tom JacobsStaff writer Tom Jacobs is a veteran journalist with more than 20 years experience at daily newspapers. He has served as a staff writer for The Lo...
Explaining Liberals to Conservatives, and Vice-VersaPsychologist Jonathan Haidt can tell you why you feel so righteous about your politics, but will you listen?
Women Eye Dance Moves to Find Thrill SeekersHow to spot thrill-seeking men on the dance floor, “sweet” personalities in public, and bidding fever on eBay.
Does Black History Need More Than a Month?The documentary “More Than a Month” asks: Does Black History Month still inspire reflection, or just Nike sales?
We’re Sorry: Not All Apologies Are ApologiesPoliticians take note: Research shows the fine line between claiming regret and taking responsibility.
Can a Bad Economy Save Your Marriage?Spouses who blame the economy for their woes, rather than pointing the finger at their partner, are more likely to be satisfied with their marriages.
Receive 1 year (6 issues) of our print magazine for just $14.95. Miller-McCune features polished, in-depth reports on research and solutions across the policy spectrum — from health care, education and energy to international affairs, poverty and the global economy. It's a must read for well-informed and solutions-driven individuals.
follow us on:
join our newsletter:
from the source
What makes communities strong and vibrant? Researchers say local schools bring a raft of positives to town — even for the childless — beyond creating an educated populace.
Once seen as non-ideological “universities without students,” the American think tank has, in many cases, become a partisan stalking horse that devalues the sector’s scholarship.
Swiss scientists plan to send a “janitor satellite” into orbit to attempt to clean up space debris.
Turning unloved federal property into homeless services centers has been federal law for a quarter century, but tough times have bureaucrats hoping to shove that tradition into the cold.
A number of folk stories and a few divisive rumors have surrounded the office of the U.S. presidency, and skeptical folks like us check a few of them out.
