Jeff Sherman

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

Stability and Plasticity Seeking in the Development and Application of Schematic Knowledge

A functional cognitive system must promote both knowledge stability and plasticity at the same time.  We must have stable expectancies about the environment, and, at the same time, retain the ability to note, process, and retain information that contradicts these expectancies.  In this talk, I will describe research showing how these two goals may be pursued simultaneously, particularly when processing capacity is diminished and the need for strategic processing is maximized.  Whereas attentional and perceptual encoding (encoding of details and context) favor stereotype-inconsistent information when resources are diminished, conceptual encoding (encoding for gist) favors stereotype-consistent information at the same time.  These different processes affect the likelihood that traits will be spontaneously inferred from stereotype-consistent and –inconsistent behaviors, and influence the manner in which these behaviors will be represented in memory.  They also affect memory processes, enhancing the likelihood of source misattributions for consistent but not inconsistent behaviors, particularly under difficult retrieval conditions.  Under such conditions, perceivers may rely on the conceptual fluency of consistent but not inconsistent behaviors to determine their origin.  The determination of origin for inconsistent behaviors depends on the encoding and retrieval of contextual detail.  Discussion focuses on the complexity of stereotype efficiency, the relationship between processing motives and processing capacity, and the need to theoretically unhinge stereotyping and individuation processes.