When Do Subgroup Parts Add Up to the Stereotypic Whole? Mixed Stereotype Content for Gay Male Subgroups Explains Overall Ratings

Gay men appear neutral in Stereotype Content Model (SCM; Fiske et al., 2002) outgroup maps, contradicting well–documented prejudice but perhaps masking disparate subgroups. Subgroup analyses test SCM on subordinate levels, generalizing beyond macro social groups in multicultural societies. Analyses also test subgroups as diagnostic for gays, investigating their meaningful differentiation. Pretests identified 10 distinct subgroups which undergraduates then rated on SCM dimensions “warmth” and “competence.” As predicted, (a) three clusters emerge; (b) mixed stereotype content predominates; and (c) no subgroups are high–high, but (d) two are low–low. Perceived status and competence correlate, although unexpectedly not competition and warmth. “Feminine” and “masculine” subgroups replicate SCM locations for traditional women and men. SCM apparently generalizes and differentiates gay male subgroups.