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A study examined the influence of news about single nations on U.S. residents' inferences about groups of foreign countries. Subjects, 150 students in introductory psychology, writing, and mass communications courses at a U.S. state university, were randomly assigned to treatment groups. Participants answered questions concerning a group of developed or developing nations. The experimental group also read an unrepresentative news story concerning one of the nations. Participants were then asked to answer a series of questions. Results indicated that unrepresentative news does influence the accuracy of audience inferences about groups of foreign countries. Those who read an unrepresentative news story about a single European or South American nation made less accurate judgments about an average characteristic of all countries in either region than did control participants who read no story. The results also gave no evidence that a person's general orientation toward world affairs mediates the impact of news upon the accuracy of judgment about groups of countries. References and tables are appended. (DF)