Study:
American Indian mascots prompt stereotypes
Mascots can give fans the wrong message, a new study says.
As it turns out, brand names, logos and mascots -- such as the Indians or the Redskins -- can strengthen negative stereotypes, according to new research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Researchers also found a correlation between a person's political identity and how likely a person is to think those brands are a problem. The study, “Activating Stereotypes with Brand Imagery: The Role of Viewer Political Identity," was led by Justin W. Angle, assistant professor at the University of Montana's business school.
It is one of the first empirical demonstrations of the influence of ethnic brand imagery on both positive and negative stereotypes in the broader population, according to a university news release. In recent years, this issue has been controversial, with some team owners coming under pressure to change team names.
The study questioned whether exposure to American Indian brands increased the association of American Indians with "warlike." Liberals who were showed the logos had a stronger association of American Indians with warlike. “More conservative participants did not exhibit a strengthened stereotype,” the news release said.
Researchers also attempted to determine whether exposure to the imagery could strengthen positive stereotypes -- such as the noble Indian.
"When no slogan was present, the association of American Indians with 'noble' weakened for liberals, but not for conservatives," the release said. “However, when a positive stereotypical slogan (“We are Noble, We are Peaceful, We Compete with Honor!”) accompanied the logo, liberal participants showed strengthened association of American Indians with ‘noble.’”
Exposure to ethnic brand imagery “strengthened implicit stereotypes only among more liberal individuals, consistent with the idea that liberals tend to hold more malleable views,” the study concluded. “These findings demonstrate measurable negative effects of ethnic brand imagery on implicit stereotypes and support the view that the use of such imagery can carry detrimental societal consequences.”
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