The Role of Stereotypes in Housing Discrimination Toward Exonerees: A Test of the Counter-Stereotype Framework

Although psychological research has demonstrated that formerly incarcerated individuals are stigmatized and discriminated against post-release, we know very little about the underlying mechanisms fueling this discrimination. The goal of this program of research was to investigate the effect of stereotype endorsement as well as the mitigating effect of counter-stereotype information on housing discrimination toward exonerees and releasees. Study 1a exploratorily examined the top ten characteristics that participants (N = 693) associate with exonerees and releasees and demonstrated that individuals hold distinct stereotypes about these two groups. Study 1b (N = 377) examined whether endorsement of these stereotypes predicted decision-making in a simulated rental decision task. Results demonstrated that stereotype endorsement predicted housing discrimination toward releasees, but not exonerees. Study 2 (N = 551) examined whether providing counter-stereotype information could help to decrease discriminatory rental decisions and demonstrated that individuals provided with counter-stereotype information (compared to stereotype-congruent information) were more willing to rent to the prospective tenant. Study 3 extended upon these findings to examine its generalizability to landlords in an audit study (N = 818). Results demonstrated that landlords provided with counter-stereotype information and other individuating information were not more likely to respond to, but were more likely to indicate availability to, prospective exoneree renters.