Stereotype Content Model Holds Across Cultures: Universal Similarities and Some Differences

The stereotype content model (SCM; Fiske, Cuddy, Glick, & Xu, 2002) proposes potentially universal principles of societal stereotypes and their relation to social structure. Here, the SCM reveals theoretically-grounded, cross-cultural, cross-groups similarities and one difference across 10 non-U.S. nations. 7 European (individualist) and 3 East Asian (collectivist) nations (N=1028) support 3 hypothesized cross-cultural similarities: (a) perceived warmth and competence reliably differentiate societal group stereotypes; (b) many outgroups receive mixed stereotypes (high on one dimension; low on the other); (c) high-status groups stereotypically are competent, and competitive groups stereotypically lack warmth. Data uncover one consequential cross-cultural difference: (d) the more collectivist cultures do not locate reference groups (ingroups and societal prototype groups) in the most positive cluster (high-competence/high-warmth), unlike individualist data. This demonstrates outgroup derogation without obvious reference-group favoritism. SCM is a pancultural tool for predicting group stereotypes from structural relations with other groups in society, and comparing across societies.