Abstract
Examined in 3 parts with 96 White undergraduates, the nature of illusory correlation effects when associative connections and shared infrequency operated simultaneously. When undesirable behaviors were both infrequent and also associatively linked to a stimulus person's demographic group, there was an illusory correlation between membership in an infrequently appearing group and performance of infrequent, undesirable behaviors. More specifically, stimulus persons who were Black, old, or of the opposite sex from the S were rated more negatively when their demographic group appeared infrequently. Different illusory correlations were obtained when infrequency and associative links acted in opposition, undesirable behaviors being infrequent and desirable behaviors being associatively linked. More specifically, stimulus persons who were White, young, or of the same sex as the S were rated more positively when their demographic group appeared infrequently.