Intersectional Bias in First Impressions of Competence

The present research examines how intersecting social categories shape first impressions of competence, focusing on Black women. Across seven online studies (total N = [884]), we investigated whether competence judgments toward Black women reflect additive effects of race and gender stereotypes or stem from a distinct intersectional stereotype. Across studies, we consistently found an intersectional pattern of competence judgments: Participants rated Black men and White women as more competent than White men, but this was less true for Black women. This pattern was modulated by individual differences in bias control—specifically, motivation and executive function (Studies 5–7). While internal motivation to control prejudice predicted pro-minority responses, this effect was insufficient to produce an overall response tendency favoring Black women equally to White women and Black men. A meta-analysis of Studies 5–7 further revealed that cognitive control efficiency (assessed by a Stroop task) significantly predicted competence ratings for Black women only, suggesting that applying pro-minority control for Black women is more difficult compared to their constituent groups. In study 7, emphasizing race over gender did not restore pro-Black bias toward Black women, further supporting intersectional models that posit emergent or unique stereotypes. These findings challenge additive models of stereotyping, emphasizing the distinct psychological representation of intersectional targets. They also underscore the difficulty of regulating stereotypes for multiply marginalized individuals. Together, these results offer insight into the interplay between social categorization, motivation, and executive control in real-world impression formation.