Abstract: Some studies have revealed that there can be similar category hierarchy between stereotype representation and entity category. However, existing research to the manipulation of the stereotype activating has not distinguished from superior category, subcategory to typical exemplar. Besides, more research remains in the behavior level. But the response reflects only information processing to the comprehensive results, not the specific process. The objective of current research is to explore possible category hierarchy by manipulating different activation of sex stereotype. In this study, participants were primed with these words respectively corresponding superior category, subcategory, typical exemplar and counter-stereotypical exemplar, followed by a word which was either consistent with gender stereotypes or inconsistent. Their task was to indicate whether the words matched or did not match, according to gender stereotypes. Both response times and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during performance of the task. Results showed that: (1) stereotype incongruent word pairs were associated with larger N400 ERP amplitudes and slower response times, relative to congruent word pairs. (2) response times of activating superior category representation was shortest than subcategory than typical exemplar. (3) the largest N400 ERP amplitudes induced by mismatch in stereotype representation from priming superior category than subcategory than typical exemplar. These results suggest that there is a hierarchical structure for stereotype representation, which is from abstract category, subcategory to the typical sample. For gender stereotype, the stereotype representation is trend to preferentially activate abstract category. Furthermore, under the condition of the semantic activating, the violation of the gender stereotype induces N400 effect. Gender stereotype representation is top-down semantic classification processing by frontal lobe.

Key words: Stereotype representation, Category, Exemplar, ERPs, N400

摘要： 本实验采用ERP技术，考察性别刻板印象的表征。结果发现，无论启动是上位范畴、子范畴、典型样例还是反例，被试对于刻板印象不一致的表征比一致的表征均诱发了波幅更大的N400，反应时更长。并且，被试对于性别刻板印象的表征存在层级差异。研究结果表明：（1）性别刻板印象的表征存在层级结构。（2）语义启动下，性别刻板印象违背诱发N400效应。（3）性别刻板印象表征存在自上而下的由大脑额叶进行的语义分类加工。

关键词: 刻板印象表征, 范畴表征, 样例表征, ERPs, N400