Does perspective taking increase or decrease stereotyping? The role of need for cognitive closure

Being able to take the perspective of others is an important part of human social competence that has considerable impacts on social cognition. Previous research found that taking the perspective of an outgroup member is an effective strategy for reducing stereotyping and prejudice towards an outgroup member. Yet other studies showed that the perspective taking heightens the stereotyping in certain situations. In the present study, we hypothesized and found that the effect of perspective taking on stereotyping depends on the perspective taker's need for cognitive closure (NFC). In Study 1, after taking the perspective of the elderly, people with high NFC used more stereotypic traits in describing the elderly, whereas those low in NFC used significantly less. In Study 2, people with high NFC had higher level of stereotype accessibility, as compared with people with low NFC.