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article In the present work, the moderating role of stereotypes in trait and situational spontaneous inferences is examined. Previous research has shown that stereotypes affect the likelihood of spontaneously inferring personality traits from behaviors, but whether stereotype knowledge also interferes with the likelihood of making situational inferences is something that remains unknown. In two experiments, the stereotypes asso- ciated with the actors and their corresponding behavioral descriptions allowed both trait and situational inferences. Results showed that spontaneous trait inferences were more likely to be made for stereotype- consistent behaviors than for stereotype-inconsistent behaviors, whereas spontaneous situational inferences follow the opposite pattern. Our findings support the hypothesis that spontaneous trait and situational infer- ences interplay with stereotype knowledge in the service of preserving the coherence of information received.

WOS:000298935900001 (Nº de Acesso Web of Science) “Prémio Científico ISCTE-IUL 2013” More than twenty five years after the beginning of research on spontaneous trait inferences (Winter & Uleman, 1984) an intriguing paradox in the impression formation literature remains: if traits are spontaneously inferred, why aren't they used to organize behavioral information and thereby facilitate recall under memory instructions (Hamilton, Katz, & Leirer, 1980)7 We hypothesized that organization by traits is more evident under impression formation goals because only in that case then are inferences sufficiently monitored to permit their use in organizing impressions. As a consequence, such monitored traits can then be used strategically as retrieval cues. Merging the main features of the Winter and Uleman and the Hamilton et al. experimental paradigms, Experiment 1 simultaneously replicated the main results of both studies. Using a new recognition paradigm, Experiments 2 and 3 further tested this inference monitoring hypothesis by showing that monitoring of trait inferences only occurs under particular processing goals, and is dependent on the availability of cognitive resources.