However, recent research by McCabe & Brannon, suggests that the shifting standards model can be used in evaluating people from a higher status group.
In a study conducted with undergraduate college students, McCabe and Brannon instructed each participant to read a paragraph with either a stereotypical black or white name, then rate the level of ambition for each individual.
[2] The shifting standards model can also have an effect on making evaluations, depending on the kind of judgment being made.
[5] In measuring stereotype accuracy, researchers often assume that assessments are stable across time and situation.
However, research based on the shifting standards model shows just the opposite, that stereotypes are unstable and depend largely on how the participant chooses a reference point for making their assessment.