Stereotype research often measures perceived societal reaction rather than personal emotion.

Evidence

Although both the Stereotype Content Model and Intergroup Emotions Theory postulate emotional reactions to other groups, there are at least two major distinctions between these perspectives. One is that the Stereotype Content Model conceptualizes emotional reactions to specific groups from the viewpoint of “society as a whole.” Indeed, studies testing this approach have typically asked respondents to describe how society in general reacts to various groups such as welfare recipients, rather than how those respondents themselves react emotionally (either as individuals or as members of their own particular ingroups, which is the focus of Intergroup Emotions Theory). — , Rudman, Laurie A - On the Nature of…, 2274

Categorization

• QUESTION: The ‘society as a whole’ elicitation is a methodological curiosity — does asking about societal norms elicit more socially-desirable responses, and does it tap descriptive vs injunctive norms?