Willful Stereotype Control: The Impact of Internal Motivation to Respond Without Prejudice on the Regulation of Activated Stereotypes

Internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced leads to heightened control of stereotype activation. However, it is not clear whether internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced only reduces stereotype activation or whether individuals high internally motivated to behave nonprejudiced are also more successful in intentionally controlling already activated stereotypes. Two studies show that internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced when measured as well as when manipulated leads to more efficient control of activated stereotypes. This underlines the powerful potential of internal motivation to behave nonprejudiced to support the intentional control of previously activated stereotypes.