Affect caused by an intergroup encounter may operate differently than incidental affect

Evidence

At least three general approaches can be conceptually distinguished. First, some researchers focused on the effects of “incidental” affect – affect arising from outside of the intergroup encounter itself – on stereotyping, prejudice, or related processes (e.g., Bodenhausen, 1993; Mackie, Queller, Stroessner, & Hamilton, 1996). Studies of incidental affect are important in demonstrating how general emotional processes influence thoughts, judgments, and behavior, including those in intergroup situations. However, these studies leave open the question of whether emotion in an intergroup context operates in the same way when it is caused specifically by that context (Bodenhausen, 1993). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2257

Categorization

• DEFINE: Clarifies the distinction between incidental affect versus affect caused by the intergroup context itself — a methodological distinction that shapes experimental design.