The current research investigates the role of racialized work ethic stereotypes on attitudes toward welfare. We hypothesized that work ethic stereotypes shape both people’s attitudes toward welfare and their perceptions of who benefits from these policies. Consistent with hypotheses, when the demographic composition of welfare recipients was majority Black (vs. White), participants thought recipients were lazier and were less positive to welfare programs and policies (Study 1). Describing welfare recipients as hardworking (vs. no information control) mitigated this effect, even when the demographic composition of welfare recipients was majority Black (Study 2). Finally, we investigated whether work ethic stereotypes shape both attitudes toward welfare and spontaneous mental images of recipients. Images generated when participants were asked to envision hardworking (vs. lazy) recipients were rated by a separate sample as more representative of White Americans and garnered more support for providing welfare benefits (Study 3).

当前的研究调查了种族化的职业道德刻板印象对福利态度的作用。我们假设，职业道德的刻板印象既影响着人们对福利的态度，也影响着人们对谁受益于这些政策的看法。与假设相一致的是，当福利接受者的人口组成是黑人（vs. White）占多数时，参与者认为接受者比较懒惰，对福利计划和政策的积极性较弱（研究1）。将福利接受者描述为努力工作（相对于没有信息控制）会减轻这种影响，即使福利接受者的人口构成是黑人占大多数（研究2）。最后，我们调查了职业道德的刻板印象是否既塑造了对福利的态度，又塑造了接受者的自发心理形象。