Kicking the habit: Effects of nonstereotypic association training and correction processes on hiring decisions

The primary aim of the present research was to examine the effect of training in associating nonstereotypic traits with men and women on hiring decisions. While previous findings demonstrate that training can reduce the uncontrolled activation of stereotypes, the present results show that training by itself may not reduce the more controlled application of stereotypes. Across both no training and training conditions, participants chose male over female candidates for a leadership function. However, extensive nonstereotypic training did reduce sex discrimination when the training phase was disassociated from the choice of candidate task or when the participant's cognitive capacity was limited. These findings provide further evidence for the effectiveness of training in decreasing intergroup biases and for the potential influence of mental correction in moderating the effects of nonstereotypic training.